Activities in Kibale Forest national park

Since it is one of the best protected sites to explore when on a safari in Uganda, Kibale National Park is made up of tropical rainforest and spans 766 square kilometers in total. Because it is home to 13 different primate species, including chimpanzees, grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, bush babies, and pottos, the national park is known as the primate capital.

Animals including warthogs, buffalos, bush pigs, forest elephants, bush bucks, duikers, sitatungas, leopards, and many bird species like blue-breasted kingfisher, blue-headed sunbird, crowded eagle, brown-chested alethe, etc. may also be found in Kibale National Park.

Activities in Kibale national park

Chimp habituation

A program called “chimpanzee habituation experience” is utilized at Kibale National Park to train chimpanzees to become accustomed to human presence so they can go on treks. The program begins in the park at 6:00 am with a briefing about expectations, rules, and regulations at the park headquarters. After that, you join a team of researchers, trackers, and park guides and proceed into the forest to look for chimpanzees that are part of the habituation process.

You will get the chance to spend four hours in the chimpanzees’ natural habitat after they are located, during which you can learn how to recognize them by their markings, scars, and personalities. During your safari in the park, you will witness chimpanzees making their nighttime nests, feeding, nursing, hunting, mating, relaxing, playing, and leaving their nests. This will make your safari exciting and unforgettable.

Tekking with chimpanzees

One well-known activity in Kibale National Park is chimpanzee trekking, which gives visitors the chance to venture far into the forest in pursuit of the primates. The proceedings begin early in the morning with a briefing at the headquarters regarding the guidelines that must be followed whilst trekking. After that, you are paired with a park guide who is knowledgeable about the forest’s routes and a chimpanzee family with whom you can trek.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park begins at approximately 8:00 am and can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the chimps’ location. This is because chimpanzees prefer to travel deep into the forest to find food, especially during dry seasons. In addition, you will be able to observe several bird species and other primates, such as red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and baboons. You will be able to spend time with the chimpanzees after they are located, observe them going about their regular routines (eating, playing, sleeping, nursing), snap photos, and record movies while on your safari.

Birding

More than 375 different bird species, including indigenous and forest species not found in other Ugandan national parks, can be found at Kibale National Park.

It’s best to go bird watching in Kibale National Park early in the morning or late at night with a knowledgeable bird guide. They can help you spot a variety of bird species, including tiny sunbirds, white naped pigeons, black bishops, red-winged francolins, yellow-spotted barbets, purple-headed starlings, black bee eaters, great blue turacos and black billed turacos.

Nature walks

An exciting activity at Kibale National Park is the nature walk, which starts with a briefing. Following the briefing, you will hike through grasslands and swamps with the assistance of a knowledgeable park guide. You will see a variety of wildlife, including forest elephants, duikers, bushbucks, and primates like black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys. You will also get to see a variety of bird species, plants, and tree species, listen to the sounds of birds singing, enjoy a cool breeze, and much more.

Nighttime walks around the forest

An intriguing park activity is the nocturnal forest walk, which allows you to explore the park after dark with the assistance of a knowledgeable ranger guide and spotlight torches so you can clearly see the nocturnal monkeys. You will be able to see nocturnal creatures such as nightjars, pottos, galagos, crickets, tree hyraxes, and bush babies during the guided nocturnal forest walk, which begins at around 7:00 p.m.

Children’s activities using bush craft

Since children under the age of 13 are not permitted to engage in chimpanzee trekking, Kibale National Park is one of the few parks that provides bushcraft activities for them. Children will have access to a knowledgeable park guide, professional drivers, and trained rangers who will lead them through the forest, teach them about forest survival skills, teach them about various plants, help them spot monkeys and other primates, take them on forest games like batik making, and take them to nearby communities.

Tour of Crater Lakes

This entails hiking to the summit of Nyamirima hill, from where you can see five stunning crater lakes that encircle Kibale Forest National Park. There, you can go sightseeing, take pictures, and interact with the locals, who will share with you their daily routine. You can also go kayaking on some of the lakes.

Bigodi Wetland walk and cross-cultural interaction

The Bigodi Wetland Walk is held at the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, which is situated in the Magombe Swamp. The swamp offers a variety of attractions, the main ones being birds and primates. Species of primates include baboons, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus, and red colobus. Other mammals include sitatunga, mongooses, chimps, bush pigs, otters, and bush bucks. Bird species include the buff-spotted, scaly-breasted forest robin, red-chested owlet, green-breasted pitta, and many more.

You will also get to observe the local way of life, local cuisine, local drinks, and local dances when you visit the local communities. You will have an unforgettable experience on the trek.