This enchanting park is full of lakes, marshes and grasslands and its slopes contain several distinct types of forests (lowland tropical rainforest, deciduous forest and montane forests), perfect for its arboreal inhabitants.
Out of the 12 primate species living in Kibale, the chimpanzees attract the most attention.
ANIMALS AND BIRDS
Many of Kibale’s chimps are habituated to human visitors, as a sustainable eco-tourism initiative allowing people to visit has been running since 1992. You can be sure to find chimps when the sticky fruit of the huge fig trees ripen, at other times your guide will know where to find them. However, once they decide to move on at high speed through the branches, keeping up with them can be quite a challenge.
As you walk through the ancient, pristine forests the extraordinary diversity and abundance of life in an exotic tropical rainforest is revealed. Trees stretch up to 170 feet high (52 metres), held in place by broad buttress roots and in places the undergrowth is extremely dense.
Birds are abundant with at least 325 species such as colourful turacos and noisy hornbills who squawk loudly as they fly. The buzz of life is audible here, but a silent encounter to take your breath away is standing amongst clouds of fluttering butterflies, of which this park boasts 144 different species!
The swampy clearings and grasslands are home to buffaloes and antelopes, while the shady wooded inclines slopes hide the elusive forest elephant – smaller and hairier than its savannah counterpart.
SEASONS
Dry Season: June to September is the driest time when most animals remain near water, but be prepared for afternoon thunderstorms at any time. The hot dry time is January to February and is a good time to visit. Dry season temperatures average 80°F (25°C).
Rainy Season: It rains anytime from October to December and March to May when many roads become impassible.
KIBALE SPECIALITIES
• 12 different primates
• Habituated chimpanzees
• Ancient forests
• Clouds of butterflies
• Tropical birds
FACTS
This park is located in the west of Uganda covering an area of 296 miles² (766 km²).
This is a malarial area.