Kibale Forest National Park is situated in the Western part of Uganda. The 766 square kilometers of moist tropical forest are home to numerous primate species. Although the national park is famous for chimpanzee trekking, the park boasts another 12 species and other bird, butterflies and wildlife species.
Wildlife
Kibale is the ultimate destination for chimpanzee trekking. These chimpanzee families are habituated and offer excellent chimpanzee trekking safaris. Other primate species include; Black and white colobus monkeys, grey checked mangabeys, vervet monkeys, L’hoest’s monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons and red colobus monkeys. These primates are active during the day and can be seen eating, playing and grooming each other. Other mammal species include; forest elephants, buffaloes, bush pig and duikers.
Best time for wildlife viewing
Although the park is open all year round, the dry seasons of June-August and December-February are the best times to visit the forest. Primates are inactive in the rain and that may affect your chimpanzee trekking experience. More to that, the trails maybe tricky to navigate when wet.
Birding
With over 370 bird species in the park, Kibale forest national park is a must visit for birders. Some of these bird species are not documented in any other park in Uganda. Some of the bird species include; African pitta, Nahan’s francolin, blue headed bee-eater, Cassin’s spine tail and many more.
Best Time for Bird Watching
The months of March-May and September-November offer spectacular bird viewing. With fruiting from June-September, there is plenty of food and that’s when birds start breeding. In the wet seasons, the rain storms may affect your bird viewing.
Climate and weather
Kibale experiences a temperate climate all year around. With day temperatures averaging at 27°C/81°F, it cools off to 15°C/59°F a night. There is no apparent dry season. Expect rain at any time. The drier months of December-February and June-August produce the least amount of rain and therefore are the best time to embark on the safari activities in the park.
Getting there
Kibale forest national park is located 35km from Fort portal town, a 40-45 minutes’ drive. From the capital city Kampala, its 360km, a 6 hours’ drive. From Queen Elizabeth national park, its 113kms, a 2-3 hours’ drive. A visit to Kibale can be combined with other safari destinations like Bwindi for Gorilla trekking and Murchison falls or Queen Elizabeth for wildlife viewing.
