Kibale Forest National Park in Uganda.

Learn about Kibale Forest National Park in Uganda and its Wildlife and Birdlife in Africa

If you have never been to Kibale Forest National Park, it will be hard for you to believe my story,but one thing for sure is that this forest is the best for chimpanzee habitat in Uganda. There is a heavy thud on the forest floor and my heart leaps to my mouth. I look nervously up toward the forest canopy and try to compose myself but our guide just smiles. ‘They are here’ he whispers and gestures us to move forward.

Pointing toward the high branches of a forest giant, I see dark shapes walking casually along the rounded limbs of the tree silhouetted against the blue sky.

There is no hesitation in the step, each motion is grace and power; clearly the great apes are at home many storeys above their pavement. Without warning, a chorus of chimpanzee echoes through the forest. They know we are here and they are there are no reservations in letting us all know that.

Curiosity gets the better of him and soon a youngster swings effortlessly from the upper branches, climbs down the trunk of the giant fig and comes to greet his visitors. In one hand is a ripe fig which he snacks on, with the other powerful arm he swings from the bough of a tree and smiles shamelessly at his closest non-chimp relatives.

At such close range, the gestures are remarkably human; perhaps he believes ours are unwittingly chimpanzee? Whatever the truth, the encounter is magical for all in our party and we feel privileged to have shared some time deep in the forest home to over a thousand chimpanzees; one of the last remaining habitats of it’s kind in the world.

Kibale Forest National Park is in a forest that has one of the richest ecosystems in the whole of Africa.

It contains over 340 birds species, 14 species of snakes, 27 species of frogs and toads, at least 20 species of other reptiles and at least 200 species of butterflies. Other animals to be seen here include: chimpanzee, elephant, bush pig, giant forest hog, bats and rodents, etc.

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Kibale National Park is a primatologist’s dream. It hosts a population of more than 1,000 chimpanzees, of which one 80-strong community has been habituated to tourist visits, as well as half-a-dozen readily observed monkey species, including the acrobatic red colobus and black-and-white colobus, and the handsome L’Hoest’s monkey. Click here for more information about the primate categories in uganda

A fairly new park, Kibale National Park in essence is a migratory route and corridor between Queen Elizabeth National park and parks to the north such as Murchison Falls National Park.

Probably the most accessible of Uganda's large forests, Kibale National Park is home to an extremely large diversity of flora and fauna and secret trails,within it's recesses,pounded by generations of elephant,giving credit to old wives tales of 'elephant grave yards' and big tusked,solitary bulls.

Chimpazee groups have been habituated and can be visited with relative ease.

Kibale forest national Park major attraction, however, is the opportunity to track habituated chimps, these delightful apes, more closely related to man than to any other living creature, are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees.

A network of shady forest trails provides much to delight botanists and butterfly lovers, while birders are in for a treat with 335 species which include the endemic Prirogrine's.

With lush tropical rainforest and fascinating diversity of animals, Kibale National park is one of the most beautiful and stunning forests in Uganda.

The forest has one of the highest diversity and density of primates in Africa totaling 13 species including the black and white colobus, blue monkey and grey - cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkey, bush babies and pottos.

Kibale forest national Park also hosts over 325 species of birds including the yellow spotted nicator, yellow rumped tinkerbird, little greenbul, green breasted pitta, the African pitta, the crowned eagle and the black bee - eater.

Getting there

Public transport from Fort Portal to Kamwenge via Kanyanchu, Nkingo and Bigodi is available from the Kamwenge stage (next to the Fort Portal market) between 8am and 5pm. Private hire vehicles can be arranged at the Taxi Park in Fort Portal.

Related Pages

mgahinga National Park

Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda

Katonga Wildlife Reserve

Kidepo National Park

Mount Elgon Park

Murchison Falls National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Semliki Game Reserve

Semliki National Park

Rwenzori Mountain National Park

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