Also known as the’’ primate capital ‘’Kibale is the best place to view these world-endangered species in Uganda. The park was ranked the best destination in East Africa where tourists can easily find the chimpanzees. These are the second most existing primates after the mountain gorillas. Therefore, Kibale National Park is a premier safari destination. The Kanyanchu Park region of the park offers a nature walk activity that enables tourists to have a view of these species. There are thirteen different types or species of monkeys along the trails available for trekking. More so, these guided nature walks last for not more than 3 hours starting from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm due to different reasons. This park holds 1500 species out of the 1495 chimpanzees in Uganda which science says are 90% human beings. In this article, you will answer all the Frequently Asked Questions about chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park. Without any further do, let’s dive into it.
Where is Kibale National Park Located?
The park is located in the western part of Uganda in the Kabarole and Kamwenge districts. It is located near a city known as Fort Portal the highest population is made up of the Batoro whose kingdom is found in the heart of this’’ tourism city’’ as they call it.
Where to do chimpanzee trekking in Uganda?
Kibale is the best place to carry out this activity of chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. However, there are also other places to see these amazing endangered species such as Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park, and Kalinzu Forest. For one to carry out chimpanzee trekking in Uganda, he or she must have a valid permit. The permits are obtained from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. If you choose to trek with us we shall help you book the permits. Before heading to the park for trekking, a guide who knows where to find the chimpanzees is assigned to you since he or she monitored the chimpanzees the previous night.
Additionally, he or she first makes sure of the chimpanzees’ habituation the process by which these engendered species are friendly with humans and can stay around them without any harm. This process is done for about 4 hours a day. Back then the rate for chimpanzee habituation was 20% but nowadays it is at 99%. In Uganda, this activity involves walking in the rainforests in search of the chimps. More so, the activity takes about 2-5 hours per day. Upon finding these chimps, trekkers are only allowed to stay in their presence for not more than 1 hour.
What is unique about Kibale National Park?
The park is one of the tropical forests in Uganda with parts of grasslands above sea level and swamps dominating in the northern and central parts. Kibale National Park has 351 tree species rising 55m and over 200 years old. It covers 759 square km and 1 90m above sea level it is home to over 70 mammals including elephants, buffalos, and some antelopes but the most interesting are the 13 species of chimpanzees and the 375 bird species making it also a bird viewing destination in Uganda. The park also has a chimpanzee sanctuary known as Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary that was started up in 1998 the other attractions found in Kibale National Park include Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary located in Magombe Swamp, plus the park can also be connected to Queen Elizabeth National Game Park during any safari.
What are the activities can be done in Kibale National Park?
Kibale National Park is a destination of many safaris where the tourists get to carry out many different activities as follows are some of the activities that you can carry out while in the park;
Chimpanzee habituation: the permits for this activity are a bit expensive since this activity is different from normal chimpanzee trekking during this activity the tourists get to spend more hours in the presence of the chimpanzees about 6 hours.
Chimpanzee trekking: the kwon activity carried out in this park since many tourists ask for it when they come to kibale national park.
Kibale forest walk: this is the best nature walk you can ever have since the trail has 12km passing through swamp lands, grasslands, forests along rivers, and tropical forests and it takes about 6 hours where you get to see the different primates, birds and mammals.
Bigobi swamp sanctuary: this is yet another walk in nature since it involves walking for 2-3 hours viewing the rare primate species, mammals, and mostly birds since it is also called the ‘’birder’s paradise’’ and it is 6km from the Kibale headquarters. And also many other activities can be carried out in this park.
How to get to Kibale National Park?
The park can easily be accessed from Entebbe airport via the Kampala – Fort Portal high way which is fully tarmacked and is 326 km that’s about 6-7 hours on the road and on reaching Fort portal, the park is only a 1 hours’ drive away. Alternatively, the park can be accessed by air through domestic carriers from Entebbe airport to the Kajjansi airstrip to Kasese airstrip for 1 hour then board a car for 2 hours and head to the park’s headquarters.
