Kibale National Park is the ultimate destination for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda because it has the highest number of these primates at 1,500, which are also easier to locate.
And on top of seeing chimps, you can encounter other primates like the red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, and diurnal monkeys as well as plenty of birds.
The park is situated in Western Uganda within a tropical forest. It has five habituated groups you can track and observe in their natural habitat, with the Kanyanchu chimpanzee group being the most popular one to trail in the Kibale forest.
Kibale has a moist and temperate climate whereby temperatures stay constant all year round. Temperatures can reach 27°C/81°F during the day and come down to 15°C/59°F at night.
Activities to Do
Chimpanzee Tracking
Tracking chimps in Kibale can take about 3-4 hours, and after finding them, you can spend an hour observing them as they interact and play with each other.
This activity takes place every day, and you can choose to go on a guided tracking walk at 8 am or opt for the afternoon one at 2 pm.
These apes are quite interesting to watch as they use startling sounds to communicate with each other. It’s advisable not to mimic the chimpanzees as you may end up making a sound that puts your safety at risk.
Other primates you may see on the trek include the rare L’Hoest’s monkey, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-checked mangabey, and bush babies.
Chimpanzee Habituation
The chimpanzee habituation experience is suitable for those interested in spending more time with the primates to take lots of photos or even conduct research.
Here you can spend half a day observing the chimps in their habitat while the habituation research team works on getting them used to human visits.
Birding
Kibale is host to over 375 birds, such as the green-breasted pitta, Nahan’s francolin, and Black bee-eater that can be found all over the forest, but the Bigodi swamp sanctuary is the best place for birding in this park.
The variety of birds you can see there include the Black-billed turaco, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Blue-headed Coucal, and White-spotted crake. This preserve is also home to plenty of butterflies you can enjoy watching as they fly around.
Nature Walks
The forest is lined with several walking trails that you can take along with a ranger guide to immerse yourself in nature and discover the other mammals in the park.
You may be able to see the duikers, forest elephants, bush pigs, and buffaloes as well as different reptiles and amphibians.
And on night walks, you can get to see the nocturnal animals, such as the bush babies, potto, hyraxes, civets, and the serval cat. Besides, Kibale has over 250 tree species that your guide can point out to you hike through the forest.
Crater Lakes Tour
There are numerous beautiful crater lakes at the edge of Kibale Park, popularly known as the Ndalii Kasenda craters that you can explore.
These lakes are dotted in between the rolling hills in the area, and you can enjoy a wide range of flora and fauna as well as spectacular views of the Kibale forest and the Rwenzori Mountains as you hike to the different craters.
The area around these lakes is also suitable for camping so, if you’re outdoorsy, you can bask in the wilderness experience.
