Rapidly becoming a must-do destination in Uganda, Kibale Forest offers visitors an accessible and enlightening insight into life in a tropical rainforest. Large mammals aren’t so easily seen but the clouds of dazzling butterflies and gorgeous forest birds more than make up for it, and besides, Kibale is most famous for its primates. Go on guided chimpanzee treks in the majestic forest and see how many of the other 12 primate species you can spot.
As one of Uganda’s wildlife gems, Kibale is a top priority for visitors wanting to trek gorillas and chimpanzees during the dry seasons, which are generally from November to February, and in June and September (the rainy seasons are March to May, and September to November). While searching for habituated chimps and gorillas, you could also discover other primates like red colobus, black-and-white colobus, potto, blue monkeys, olive baboons and rare L’Hoest’s monkeys.
There is plenty of other wildlife about, thanks to the contiguous wildlife corridor with Queen Elizabeth National Park. Elephants, bush pigs and antelope as well as predators like lions, serval, leopards and African golden cats are all found here. The 351 recorded tree species make for a diverse, lush and gorgeous backdrop.
Birders will revel in the 325 recorded bird species that include the yellow-rumped tinker, African grey parrot and the endemic ground thrush. The park’s community runs the famous Bigodi Swamp Walk, where an impressive 325 bird species have been counted.