Discover The Beauty of Wildlife in Kibale National Park
Discover the beauty of wildlife in Kibale National Park: It is a wildlife lover’s dream come true, home to a wide variety of species that inhabit the dense jungle. Large areas of marshes and grasslands are scattered throughout the park, which is primarily covered in tropical rainforest. Kibale, which has an elevation range of 1,100–1590 metres, is home to at least 60 different species of mammals and a large number of primates, including the 13 kinds of chimpanzees that have been documented. Uganda now ranks among the best places in Africa and the entire globe to see Chimpanzee populations.
Western Uganda is home to Kibale National Park, which includes the districts of Kamwenge and Kabarole. Kibale National Park lies around 20 kilometres East of Fort Portal town and 24 kilometres west of the stunning Rwenzori mountains. Kibale National Park occupies an area of approximately 795 square kilometres. Kibale National Park is a component of the extensive Kibale conservation region, which also includes Katonga Wildlife Reserve, Semliki-Tooro Wildlife Reserve, and Semliki National Park. This is sufficient proof of Kibale National Park’s significance as a haven for the natural world and wildlife.
The beauty of wildlife in Kibale National Park
With a wide variety of fauna, including animals, reptiles, birds, and insects, Kibale National Park is a unique eco-community. As a connection between Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale National Park, Kibale National Park creates an extension of almost 180 kilometres from her. The Kibale wildlife corridor facilitates the free movement of animals from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Kibale National Park; thus, finding lions and buffaloes in the forest should not come as a surprise. In order to connect the southern parks of Uganda with the northern parks, such as Murchison Falls National Park, the park serves as an ecozone connector.
Wildlife Species in Kibale Forest National Park
Though the park is famous for Chimpanzee trekking, it also harbours a greater number of other diurnal primate species, including L’Hoest’s, Blue, Mangabey, Vervet, Black, and White Colobus Monkeys, Kibale Forest is the primary home of Ugandan Red Colobus. In addition, it harbours four other species of nocturnal prosimian, one of which resembles a sloth. The most notable of Kibale’s primate populations is the chimpanzee population, which numbers roughly 1,532 individuals and is split into numerous distinct groups and communities, four of which have adapted to live with humans. Since 1993, tourists have been tracking the Kanyantale on regular expeditions out of Kanyanchu. The other three, which include Ngogo, the largest chimpanzee community in the world with over 200 members, are all designated for use by researchers. Among other communities, Buraiga’s area is adjacent to Kanyanchu, thus the wildlife wonders of Kibale National Park.
Kibale Forest is home to some of the world’s top primates, but while having an outstanding checklist that includes Leopard, Lion, Buffalo, Elephants, Hippos, Warthogs, Giant Forest Hogs, and Duikers, it is not an easy site to observe other large mammals. Compared to the more well-known savannah elephant, the forest elephants found in Kibale Forest are smaller and hairier members of the forest race. During the rainy season, elephants regularly migrate into the Kanyanchu area, though tourists are rarely able to view them.
As you discover the beauty of wildlife in Kibale National Park, this primate capital is home to more than 13 different kinds of primates. For Chimpanzee trekking and habituation, Kibale National Park attracts a high volume of people. In Kibale National Park, there are more than 1500 Chimpanzees, some of whom have acclimated to humans and are eager to socialise. 12 other species of primates, some of which are critically endangered and unique to Kibale National Park, can be found in the park in addition to the Chimpanzees. The world’s primate capital, Kibale Forest, is home to the greatest primate population in East Africa, if not all of Africa.
Despite the fact that unrestrained poaching and political instability drastically reduced the number of primates, the Democratic Republic of the Congo would have been the most likely candidate given its extensive forests. On the other hand, Uganda is a rather peaceful country. As a result, there are now more primates in Kibale National Park. Primates are primarily concentrated in Kibale Forest, with respect to population size and species variety.
Kibale Forest serves as a haven for the vast majority of East African L’hoest monkeys. There is an 85% likelihood of spotting L’hoest’s monkeys if you walk in Kibale National Park. Kibale Forest National Park offers the greatest chance to witness night monkeys, who are also referred to as nocturnal primates. These, along with other nocturnal creatures that enliven Kibale Forest at twilight, are the eastern needle-clawed Bush baby, Demidov’s dwarf Galago, and Pottos.
When you go on your nature hikes in the forest, you will be surprised to see many other animal species that call Kibale home. As a part of the Kibale-Queen Elizabeth wildlife corridor, Kibale National Park allows animals to move between the two national parks of Queen Elizabeth and Kibale National Park with considerable ease. Buffaloes and Elephants
In addition, there are rare Sitatunga antelopes, which are exclusively found in the park’s marshy areas, such as Bushbucks, Blue and Red Duikers, Peter Duikers, Forest Hogs, Warthogs, and Bush Pigs. It is also quite possible to see lions and/or leopards in Kibale National Park. For this reason, it is a good idea to adhere to groups when going on solo walks in the forest.
A popular activity in Kibale National Park is Chimpanzee trekking. It means walking along a designated trekking path through the jungle until you come across a group of chimpanzees. Following that, you will get an hour to spend in Kibale National Park with the chimpanzees. The hour you spend with these monkeys more than compensates for the difficult climbing you had to undertake to get to Kibale National Park to see the chimpanzees.
Kibale National Park is among the few locations where you may enjoy learning about various chimpanzee groups and habituation. In contrast, Chimpanzee hiking in Kibale National Park is not as personal as chimpanzee habituation. The process of acclimating chimpanzees to human interactions is an important part of habituation. It takes a whole day to go up close and observe the chimpanzees’ habits and behaviours. Chimpanzees get used to humans during the rainy season, which is also referred to as the rare or low tourist season, and when the park sees the fewest number of tourists.
Bird Species to see in Kibale Forest
The Albertine Rift is home to a wide variety of bird species, including some uncommon ones like the African Pitta, African-breasted Pitta, Blue-throated Roller, Afep Pigeon, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Masked Apalis, Hairly-breasted Barbet, Mountain Wagtail, Red-capped Robin-chat, and White-bellied Crested Flycatcher. Other bird species that can be found in the forest include many others.
Best time to visit Kibale National Park
Kibale offers an array of year-round activities, such as camping, Chimpanzee trekking, and night treks. To see the wildlife, however, the dry season is the best time to visit Uganda’s national parks, including Kibale National Park. The best times to go chimpanzee trekking are in January and February, during the dry season, which lasts from July to September. Kibale National Park has a lot of visitors during the dry season because it falls around Uganda’s peak travel time.
Even though the wet season at Kibale National Park is particularly magnificent, the dry season is nevertheless full of excitement. The best time to plan an inexpensive trip to Kibale National Park is during the rainy season. During the wet season, the majority of lodges in and surrounding Kibale National Park are always sold at a discount. So, you can enjoy a fantastic day in a free region at Kibale National Park at a fair fee. You can obtain a Chimpanzee Habituation Permit for Kibale National Park at a reduced cost because chimpanzees also undergo this process during the wet season.