Kibale National Park is a national park in western Uganda, protecting moist evergreen rainforest. It is 766 square kilometres (296 sq mi) in size and ranges between 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) and 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) in elevation. Despite encompassing primarily moist evergreen forest, it contains a diverse array of landscapes.[1] Kibale is one of the last remaining expanses to contain both lowland and montane forests. In eastern Africa, it sustains the last significant expanse of pre-montane forest.[2]
The park was gazetted in 1932 and formally established in 1993 to protect a large area of forest previously managed as a logged forest reserve. The park forms a continuous forest with Queen Elizabeth National Park. This adjoining of the parks creates a 180 kilometres (110 mi) wildlife corridor. It is an important ecotourism and safari destination, well-known for its population of habituated chimpanzees and twelve other species of primates. It is also the location of the Makerere University Biological Field Station.
Locals and the park
Two major tribes, the Batooro and Bakiga, inhabit the area around the park. They use the park for food, fuel, and other resources with the help of the Uganda Wildlife Authority.[4] In the last century, the population around the park has increased by sevenfold. This is speculated to be because the park directly brings in revenue for those living around it and the tourism industry creates jobs. In addition, many farmers believe that the soil is better for growing crops year-round. This increase in the population has caused the area around the park to be divided and developed or turned into plantations and farmland, and demand for firewood asserts pressure on the park's wildlife habitat. Cutting trees for fuel has already strained many of the forest areas outside Kibale.[4]
Biodiversity
Kibale National Forest has one of the highest diversity and concentration of primates in Africa. It is home to a large number of endangered chimpanzees, as well as the red colobus monkey (status: Endangered) and the rare L'Hoest's monkey (Vulnerable).[4]
There are 13 species of primates in Kibale National Park. The park protects several well-studied habituated communities of common chimpanzee, as well as several species of Central African monkey including the Uganda mangabey (Lophocebus ugandae), the Ugandan red colobus (Procolobus tephrosceles) and the L'Hoest's monkey. Other primates that are found in the park include the black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza) and the blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis).[5] The park's population of elephants travels between the park and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Other terrestrial mammals that are found within Kibale National Park include red and blue duikers, bushbucks, sitatungas, bushpigs, giant forest hogs, common warthogs, and African buffalo. The carnivores that are present include leopards, African golden cats, servals, different mongooses and two species of otter. In addition, lions visit the park on occasion.[5]
Bird life is also prolific. The park boasts 325 species of birds, including the olive long-tailed cuckoo, western tinkerbird,[5] two species of pittas (African and green-breasted) and the grey parrot. The ground thrush (Turdus kibalensis) is endemic to Kibale National Park.[5]
Primates
Kibale National Forest has some of the highest abundances of species of primates in the area. There are many species of primates and these species persist in the less disturbed areas of the forest in their natural habitats. There are disturbances that are hindering some of these species. Logging effects have been studied specifically by a few people. Most studies find that logging seems to be having a negative effect on the species but there are some contradictions. Some species of primates occur less frequently in logged areas but others were unaffected.[6] Degraded lands occur when land is cleared for agriculture and then abandoned after a few years. These lands are coming back at different rates and some are showing no possibility of re-growth. The effect these lands have on primates is still slightly unknown but some studies have started weeding out answers. Most primates are evenly distributed throughout the entire forest, whether there was agriculture encroachment or not.[6] Different species have different diets and many of the species are folivorous. One study actually found that black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza) eat younger leaves over older leaves (this is thought to happen because the leaves have more protein and are easier to digest).[7]
Flora
There are approximately 229 species of trees found within the moist tropical forests of the park. Some endangered timber species of trees include Cordia millenii, Entandrophragma angolense, and Lovoa swynnertonnii. The forest understory is dominated by shade-tolerant shrubs and herbs, which include Palisota schweinfurthii and Pollia condensata, in addition to ferns and broad leaf grasses.[5]
Forest management
Many studies have been conducted within the park to assess the factors influencing forest regeneration and forest management techniques. One such study's results suggested that forest restoration could be achieved through preventing fires within the park and allowing natural succession to occur so that the grasslands formed due to human activity could naturally regenerate to forests.[8] The results showed that plots within the park that had the longest history of fire exclusion and the highest tree species diversity. Tree species that require animal dispersal of their seeds were far more abundant than non-animal dispersed species in the plot with the longest duration of fire exclusion. This suggests that seed dispersing animals were also more abundant in areas where fire was excluded. Lastly, the presence of seed dispersers and animal dispersed species of trees in some grassland plots suggest that suppressing fire and allowing natural seed dispersal to occur can encourage forest regeneration.[8] Another study evaluated the use of exotic pine and cypress tree plantations as a forest restoration technique within the park. This study showed a high level of natural regeneration of indigenous trees within pine plantations most likely due to the use of these plantations by seed dispersing animals such as redtail monkeys, chimpanzees, duikers, and bushpigs, all of which were sited or tracked within the plantations.[9]
Wild coffee project
Robusta coffee grows natively in the Kibale forest area. From 1999 to 2002 an effort was made to commercialize this coffee as a premium consumer brand, emulating and extending the success of shade grown in Central America. Revenue from the coffee production was intended to finance conservation management activities.
Why visit Kibale Forest?
The chimpanzees have made Kibale one of Uganda’s most famous wildlife destinations. You can join a small group and follow a Uganda Wildlife Authority Ranger into the forest on the trail of the chimpanzees, beginning to understand their environment as you walk. When contact is made, you stand quietly - slightly unbelieving - and have up to one hour to observe our closest relatives from a distance of just a few metres.
At Kibale, there's a strong urge to pull on your boots and walk. The forest, with its epiphyte-covered passes, tangled undergrowth and sun dazzled glades teeming with life, is a proper outdoor adventure. Sure, it is hot, the nettles are king-size, and you don’t want to mess with the ants, but every step taken is a discovery.
Sit with the chimps on their turf.
2. Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest
Classic chimpanzee treks
The main draw of Kibale is the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking is much easier than gorilla trekking, and you can also join the habituation team to spend hours with these amazing animals.
The high number of chimpanzees, the accessibility of the forest and the length of habituation makes Kibale the most popular places to track chimpanzees in Uganda. Although sightings are not guaranteed, you have over a 90% chance of seeing them in Kibale.
Unlike gorilla trekking, Kibale’s terrain is not too challenging and so you don’t have to be particularly fit or able to trek for long periods to track chimpanzees. Standard tracking excursions last about three hours and include a maximum of one hour with the chimps, during which you can expect to get within 8-10 metres.
Permits are required to track the chimpanzees, and you will join a group (maximum of 8) led by Uganda Wildlife Authority Interpretive Rangers who will introduce you to the chimps and their forest world.
The tracking excursions depart twice a day at 08:00 and 14:00. The morning departures are the busiest because many itineraries combine it with an afternoon visit to the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.
Introduction to chimpanzee trekking in Uganda
Uganda is unique in its ability to combine a huge diversity of wildlife and safari experiences along a single itinerary.
Chimp tracking in Uganda is one of the most remarkable wildlife experiences available on the continent.
There are 4 major chimp trekking destinations in Uganda: Kibale Forest National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kalinzu Forest.
Kibale Forest is the best place for chimp trekking, as the forest has high population densities and sightings are most common here.
Kibale has a contact rate of around 90%.
What is chimpanzee trekking?
Chimpanzee trekking, one of the most popular wildlife activities in Uganda, allows you to step into the world of chimpanzees in the wild. Uganda Wildlife Authority Interpretive Rangers lead a small group (maximum of 8) into the realm of the chimps.
The treks last about three hours and include a maximum of one hour with the chimps, during which you can expect to see them from a safe but intimate distance of 8-10 metres. Get up close and personal with the chimpanzees and discover their beauty, intelligence, and social structures.
Feel a deep, ancestral bond when a chimp stares at you knowingly.
What is chimpanzee habituation?
Chimpanzee habituation is a fully immersive experience. You can join the researchers of the habituation team for a half or full day excursion deep into the forest. These chimps are less used to human presence and so the experience is more unpredictable.
Whilst it can be challenging to follow the lead of these agile primates, the experience is thoroughly rewarding.
The main difference between the standard chimp treks and the habituation experience is how long you spend with the chimps. The habituation experience allows you to spend much longer in the company of the chimps.
Chimp Trekking in Kibale Forest
The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX) offers the chance to spend a half-day or full-day in the presence of the chimpanzees in Kibale Forest.
Habituation is the process of slowly introduction chimpanzees to humans so that they become more comfortable with their presence. In time, these groups of chimp can be tracked as part of a standard chimpanzee trek. The habituation process also gives the rangers a chance to learn more about the chimpanzee's behaviour.
The entire process takes at least three years to complete. Joining the habituation team is once-in-a-lifetime experience, you'll learn a lot more about the chimps than on a standard trek, but it does require patience.
Uganda is home to around 5,000 chimpanzees and 1,500 live in Kibale Forest.
A typical day
The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience is available exclusively in Kibale National Park. The trekking is more challenging than a standard chimp trek because non-habituated groups live deeper in the forest away from the busier trails, and they move more quickly to new locations.
The full-day experience starts from around 6am when the chimpanzees first get up, and lasts until around 7pm when they build new nests and settle down for the night. Throughout the day you see them carry out their day-to-day activities: feeding, hunting, patrolling the area, resting, and caring for the young ones.
A habituation experience is the best way to get incredible photographs of the chimps. It also allows you to get close enough to identify individuals by their distinct markings and personalities and learn more about their group dynamic.
Beyond the chimps, Kibale Forest is home to a huge range of flora and fauna - and spending a full day in the park allows you to see much of this, including elephants, buffaloes, bush pigs and birds.
Protecting the Chimpanzees
By taking part in a Chimpanzee Habituation Experience, you're playing a crucial role in the conservation efforts of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Habituating the chimps to the presence of humans is an important way for researchers to learn more about them within their natural habitat, without changing their behaviour. The more we learn about these incredible primates, the better we are able to protect them.
The finance provided from chimp trekking in Kibale is fundamental to the continued conservation and protection efforts of the chimps, and the forest itself.
Chimpanzee Habituation
For photographers or those with an interest greater than can be satisfied by just one hour, you can join the researchers of the habituation team to spend either a half-day or a full-day in the forest, far from the busier paths.
Walking with the habituation research team, you will push deeper into the forest. These chimps are less used to human presence and so the experience is unpredictable and can be challenging if the chimps decides to move quickly to another location.
This experience is available as both a half and full day excursion. For those joining for the full day, you will join the chimps from when they break nests at about 6:30am and stay with them the whole day until they nest again for the night at about 7pm.
Chimp Habituation Experience
Chimpanzees live within distinct social structures.
3. When to Visit the Kibale Forest
To a certain extent, a tropical forest generates its own weather patterns. That, plus Uganda’s equatorial position, means that you should always be prepared for some rain during your stay.
That said, it is generally still true that the wetter months are April and May, and November. The hottest months are January and December.
The whole concept of 'best time to visit' doesn't really apply to Uganda. The country is equatorial and so receives similar temperatures throughout the year and rainfall can be expected year-round. Weather patterns are also changing, meaning rigid seasonality is becoming outdated.
5. Beyond the Chimpanzees
Bigodi Community Wetland Sanctuary
Bigodi is prime birding and monkey habitat, but a walk here is also a wonderful way to support a superb community tourism initiative. The sanctuary is run by the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development and all profits support education and income-generating initiatives in the Bigodi Cultural Centre. Guided walks last for about three hours and depart in the morning and afternoon. Birders are recommended to join the morning walks to enjoy Bigodi at its best.
While you may not see great numbers of species, those you do will be very special because they are forest-fringe and swamp dwellers, plus West African species at the eastern limit of their range. The impressive great blue turaco is often seen. Other highlights include the papyrus gonolek; grey-throated, yellow-billed, yellow-spotted and double-toothed barbets; speckled, yellow-rumped and yellow-throated tinker barbets; yellow-bill; and black-and-white casqued hornbill.
The canopy is shared with a great range of monkeys. Red colobus are commonly seen, as are red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, black-and-white colobus and grey-cheeked mangabey. If you are particularly lucky, you may see chimpanzees foraging on the swamp edges, disturbing the elusive sitatunga antelope
Chimps share the forest with other primate species.
Toro Crater Lakes Exploration
The crater lakes are a glorious scenic contrast to the forests and swamps of Kibale and can be accessed from all properties. Explore them as part of a day drive with your guide or from crater-rim lodges.
More than 30 permanent crater lakes exist in the Toro region, scattered over 10 kilometres on the western boundary of the park. It is a heavily cultivated area (the climate is ideal), but lush pockets of forest remain. The lakes are a mixture of saline and freshwater and some are bilharzia-free, making for a spectacular wild swimming spot.
The lodges in this area, like Kyaninga and Ndali, offer canoeing, mountain-biking and walking trails for a more active experience of a beautiful place.
Flora & Fauna
Fauna
Chimpanzees
1,450. That’s the number of chimpanzees thought to inhabit Kibale Forest, sharing 795 kilometres squared of protected habitat with a total of 13 primate species including the threatened red colobus monkey and the rare L’Hoest’s monkey.
The habitats of Kibale make it the best place to see primates in Africa.
Elephants, leopards, and more
There are 70 mammals in the park. The largest of these is the elephant, of which 500 are thought to inhabit the shadows, alongside buffalo, leopard, warthog, bush pigs, golden cats and duikers. The elephants are of the forest race, smaller and hairier than their savannah cousins.
Bird life
Raising your eyes into the canopy and beyond brings you to the birds. Kibale has 375 recorded species including the Red-winged Francolin, Green-breasted Pitta, Joyful Greenbul, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Woodland Warbler and Orange-tufted Sunbird. Four species: Nahan’s francolin, Cassin’s spinetail, blue-headed bee-eater and masked apalis are not recorded in any other national park. Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary and the stretch of forest bordering both sides of the road to the Kanyanchu Tourist Centre are normally the most productive birding spots.
Flora
Protected, initially since the 1930s as a logging reserve, and as a national park since 1993, the forest has over 351 tree species, the oldest and tallest specimens reaching 200 years and 55 metres.
75% of Kibale’s vegetation is forest with grassland savannah appearing on summits and ridges. The topography determines the nature of the forest, with swampy areas in valley bottoms and drier variation on the slopes.
Chimpanzees live within distinct social structures.
9. Geography & Geology of Kibale
For the geology buffs among you
Kibale Forest lies in Kabarole District on the eastern flanks of the Rwenzori Mountains about 50 kilometres north of the equator.
Kibale Forest Wildlife Corridor Game Reserve, a 180 km wildlife corridor that runs from Ishasha in the South of Queen Elizabeth National Park to Sebitoli, the northern region of Kibale Forest allows wildlife to travel freely between the two parks.
Kibale Forest has an elevation of 1,110m to 1,590m. Nearby is the eastern border of the rift volcanic belt with its series of volcanic vents. It is the ash expelled by explosions from these vents, scattered first by the passing of the inter-tropical convergance zone and then by gravity wind flow from the expanded ice-fields of the Rwenzori Massif during recent ice ages, that is responsible for the fertile soils of the forest.
The soils lie atop a basement complex of Precambrian gneiss projecting southward through the northern limit of the Ndale volcanic field.