Kibale National Park

Kibale Forest National Park is some 35km south of Fort Portal and lies as a vast piece of equatorial rainforest. This recently established reserve is home to the highest concentration of primates in the world. Eleven different species have been counted there, including Black-and-White and Red Colobus, L’Hoest’s Monkeys, and Galagos.

The main attraction at Kibale Forest National Park, however, are the 500 Chimpanzees, which have been habituated to human visitors since 1992. You can search for some of our closest relatives on a guided 4-hour forest walk. More than likely, the Chimps will be found on one of the huge fig trees where they spend the day, feeding on the sweet ripe fruits. Every once in a while, a young male tries to threaten the visitors, but those mock-attacks are more funny than scary.

Compared to montane forests, the trees at Kibale Forest National Park grow much higher and reach incredible circumferences. Broad roots support the giants, small streams find their way through the dense undergrowth, and once in a while, the forest opens into swampy clearings, where buffalos and antelopes graze.

The forest is also home to Uganda’s third largest population of Elephants. With its varied flora providing a plentiful habitat to many species of butterflies and birds, including Hornbills and Turacos, it is a paradise for botanists and ornithologists alike.