Kibale National Park the primate capital is one of East Africa’s primate hubs with 13 primate species living in the park and about 1000 – 2000 primate individuals.
Unlike the savannah parks a visit to this park will only give you a chance to see the different primates and not the different savannah animals. So, visitors to this park are primate lovers through and through, if not they are at least primate enthusiasts.
Kibale National Park is located in western Uganda in Kabarole district. It sits on an area of 776 square kilometers, 3 quarters of that mainly the forest that makes up the park.
On top of the primates in the park, on your visit you may find at least 70 animal species, 325 bird species, over 400 tree species and 250 butterfly species.
Among the park’s prized species are the chimpanzees and the Uganda mangabey and the green-breasted pitta, which are usually mostly sighted in this park alone.
The park’s territory extends to Lake George Lake Edward and the Bigodi Swamps.
In this Forested Park, you will be sure to find a number of hiking trails for the adventurous souls who want to take them.
These are the Mpanga Falls Trail and the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary boardwalk.
Well of course it’s evident the main activity in this park is chimpanzee trekking done all year round. But the park also offers other activities like bird watching, forest hikes, forest nature walks and community experiences.
These activities are done all year round, so you can plan to visit the park any time of the year.
The main activity in this park is chimpanzee trekking here are some facts about chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park.
First chimpanzee trekking is the activity of going into the forest, searching for primates in this case chimpanzees.
- This trekking experience as stated involves trekking long hours until you find the chimpanzees.
- When you find the chimpanzees, you will spend no more than an hour with them before you exit the forest.
- The chimpanzee treks in Kibale National Park are done all year round either in the mornings or afternoons. Mornings start as early as 8 am and afternoons start at 2 pm.
- Both treks have guiding rules that include but are not limited to not trekking while you are sick, staying within 10 meters of the chimpanzees, not feeding or touching the chimpanzees, not eating in front of the chimpanzees, not coughing or sneezing directly into the chimpanzees, not using flash photography, among other rules.
- The chimpanzee trekking experience is guided activities done by trekking rangers that take you into the forest, to the chimpanzees, and then out of the forest.
- The fees for this chimpanzee trekking experience range between 150 dollars to 200 dollars per person per trek.
- Persons below the age of 15 are not allowed to trek.
- Usually after the chimpanzee trekking experience, the trekkers will go to the Bigodi swamps for a bird-watching experience.
- For the forest enthusiasts, they usually continue on in the forest. Exploring its beauty and other features in the forest.
