The Kibale equatorial rainforest contains the highest concentration of primates in the world – thirteen species live here including about 500 chimpanzees.
KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

The Kibale equatorial rainforest contains the highest concentration of primates in the world – thirteen species live here including about 500 chimpanzees. It is an enchanting forest full of lakes, marshes, patches of grasslands and several distinct types of forest (lowland tropical rainforest, deciduous forest and montane forests), perfect for its arboreal inhabitants.

This includes the Black & White and Red Colobus, L’Hoest’s Monkeys and Galagos. For the nature lover, the rainforests themselves are a wonder – the trees grow very high and their circumferences are enormous. The bird life is amazing with at least 325 species identified here. The buzz of life is audible, but a silent encounter to take your breath away is standing amongst clouds of fluttering butterflies, of which this park boasts 144 different species!

There is dense undergrowth, through which small streams make their way and occasionally create swamps in open areas where buffaloes and antelopes graze. While the shady wooded slopes hide the elusive forest elephant – smaller and hairier than its savannah counterpart.

CHIMP TRACKING

Many of Kibale’s chimps are habituated to human visitors, as a sustainable eco-tourism initiative allowing people to visit has been running since 1992. Whilst wildlife viewing can never be guaranteed, you have an excellent chance of finding chimps when the sticky fruit of the huge fig trees ripen. At other times your guide will have a very good idea where to find them. Be warned however, once the chimps decide to move on at high speed through the branches, keeping up with them can be quite a challenge.