Kibale National Park is positioned in the west of Uganda in Kabarole and Kamwenge districts 358km about 7 hours’ drive from Kampala. Kibale National Park stretches to a surface coverage of 795km2 and is considered to be among the Uganda’s last surviving tropical forests with great bio-diversity concentration.

Kibale has 351 tree species with trees that are 50m tall and 200 years old, 70 species of mammals, 13 species of primate including the common chimpanzee and 375 bird species.

Established in 1932 as a forest reserve, Kibale was later upgraded to National Park status in 1993 to enhance biodiversity protection.

Kibale Forest National Park Uganda Chimpanzee Trekking Safari Uganda Activities

Kibale contains 375 species of birds which provides aperfect birding paradise for birders on Uganda safari. The adjacent wetland of Bigodi alos offers additional birding encounters with 138 species of birds.

Endemic species include; Cassin spine tail, Nahans francolin, masked apalis and blue-headed blue eater. Other species of birds include; Red Winged Francolin, White-naped Pigeon, Crested fly catcher, Red- chested fluff tail, Green- brested Pitta, Joyful Greenbul, Yellow-billed Barbet, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Grey winged Robbin, White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Western Nicator, Grey-winged Robin-chat, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Superb Sunbird, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, White-breasted Negrofinch, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Black Bishop, Black-crowned Waxbill and Bocage’s Bush-shrike among other birds.

Dubbed the primate capital of the world, Kibale National Forest contains highest concentration of primates on the continent of Africa.

13 Species of primates exist in the park including common Chimpanzee, black and white colobus monkey, olive baboon, red tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, grey cheeked Mangabey, vervet moneys and blue monkeys alongside nocturnal species like bush babies and pottos.

Kibale National Park has 351 species of trees some of which are 200 years old and 50m tall. This shows that Kibale is a mature forest with a forest canopy and diverse floral species marked by epiphytes, terns and figs.

Traversing this ran forest is one of the rewarding encounters you can ever have on Uganda safari.

Kibale National Park is surrounded by the Batooro and the Bakiga people with unique cultural traditions.

The cultural encounters are normally done in Bigodi area where the local people developed successful eco-tourism project.

You have encounters with the traditional haler, local women with their handicrafts, and traditional performances and community projects like the school.

Getting There