The reasons why Kibale National Park is a global wonder.
The southern part of Uganda is home to Kibale National Park and Kibale Forest, which is where East Africa and West Africa converge. In order to protect its rich ecological system, the park was gazetted in 1932 during the colonial era. One of the few exceptional regions in Africa that has both tropical rainforest and evergreen montane forests is Kibale National Park, a very beautiful location. One of the world’s wonders, Kibale National Park is located roughly 5–6 kilometers from Entebbe International Airport, Uganda’s major entry point, and 26 kilometers from Fort Portal Town’s southeast. The park spans 795 kilometers.
With an annual maximum rainfall of 1700 meters, Kibale National Park’s elevation of 1600 meters at its highest point and 1,000 meters at its lowest point on the Albertine Plateau encourages the formation of dense plant types, including the old trees that make up Kibale Forest.
A wonder of the world, Kibale National Park is endowed with a number of attractions that draw large numbers of visitors to this forest sanctuary.
Cover of forests and vegetation
Kibale National Park has a wide variety of plants at different elevations. At the highest point, a dense forest canopy surrounds the center area of the park, near Kanyanchu, and has trees that are more than 200 years old and extremely tall—55 meters and more. Regretfully, the forest lost many native trees as a result of logging and deforestation practices by the Bakiga and Batooro people, but thanks to environmental conservation efforts, the park is gradually regaining its lost species because it is one of Uganda’s protected areas. More than 250 tree species can be found in Kibale Forest National Park, which has a semi-deciduous canopy and an evergreen moist forest. Savannah woodland along the bottom of the rift valley, dry tropical forest, moist evergreen forest on the Fort Portal plateau, and the evergreen environment in Kibale Forest, which provides clean air and is the ideal location for nature enthusiasts, are all present.
Primates
Many people travel to Uganda specifically to do chimpanzee trekking, and Kibale National Park is well-known for its chimpanzees. More than 13 different species of monkeys may be found at Kibale Forest National Park, and they are fascinating to see. The dense trees of the Kibale forest are where these primates live.
These primates include, among others:
The most frequently tracked primates in Kibale National Park are chimpanzees. In their habituated state, they are accustomed to being accepted as human individuals. They are gregarious animals who live in groups. In Kibale Forest National Park, three habituated communities have already been studied: the Kanyawara community, which has 50–60 chimpanzees, the Kanyanchu chimpanzee community, which has 200 chimpanzees, and the Sebitoli community. The chimpanzees in Kibale Forest provide excellent opportunities for tracking activities. It’s an incredible adventure that costs US$150 for foreign non-residents, US$100 for foreign residents, and 100,000 Ugandan shillings for East African citizens (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi). To participate in tracking, visitors must adhere to certain rules, such as maintaining an 8–6 m distance from the primates and only 8 visitors per day are permitted. Only visitors over the age of 15 are permitted to engage in chimpanzee tracking; do not eat near chimps. Avoid using flashes and making extra noise when taking images. When traveling to track chimpanzees, visitors are suggested to bring the following items: hiking boots, long-sleeved shirts, a rain jacket, warm clothing, a camera, binoculars, insect repellents, food, water, and a hiking stick.
Among the other primates are nocturnal primates (Bushbabies and Pottos), red monkeys, red colobus monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey checked mangabeys, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, velvet monkeys, and olive baboons.
Mammals in Kibale Forest National Park: During hikes, visitors can view a variety of mammals that are fascinating to nature and people. These creatures include lions, golden cats, and forest elephants. Some of the species move from Queen Elizabeth National Park and the nearby Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.
Birds: The finest place to observe birds is in Kibale Forest National Park. With their vibrant feathers and melodies, the 375 or so bird species that call the forest park home transform Kibale Forest into a paradise. Brown illadopsis, white-tailed anthrush, spotted Nicator, purple-breasted sunbird, western Nicator, African grey parrot, blue-eared ground thrush, and the rare Albertine Rift Valley are among the birds found in Kibale.
Butterflies: You will be astounded to witness vibrant butterflies fluttering across the verdant surroundings of Kibale Forest National Park, which reflects the blue skies. It is an experience not to be missed to see more than 230 different species of butterflies in the midst of nature.
Lakes in the Ndali-Kasende crater: Crater Lake offers visitors stunning views of the plains, dense tree cover, and lakes that were formed over a millennium. Thirty kilometers south of the fort gateway, they are all in one location. You can view monkeys playing, lovely butterflies, Kabarole tea fields, the southern Rift valley plains, and Lake George while you’re in the Crater Lakes Sector, which contains 60 stable and seasonal freshwater lakes. The crater area is more appealing because of the local stories that are associated with it. According to the stories that have been narrated, the Chwezi commander created the lakes in the name of Ndahura, who fled his kingdom after his son Wamala deposed him.
interactions between cultures. Kibale Forest National Park offers cultural encounters in addition to opportunities for environmental connection. You may observe the everyday Batooro lifestyle of the local indigenous population as well as the Bakiga immigrants during the village tours.
