Kibale national park
Kibale National Park stands out as one of the most attractive destinations in Uganda. It is a renowned habitat for several wildlife species, especially the primates. Kibale National Park protects one of the most evergreen, moist, and intact rainforests in East Africa.
The park stretches up to 766 square kilometers in the West of Uganda in the Kabarole district near Fort Portal, the tourist city. The park’s beauty isn’t only limited to its primates and forest but also to the diverse array of landscapes it is characterized by. Kibale National Park has one of the highest concentrations of primates in Africa and the world at large, a reason why it was labeled “the primate capital of the world”.
History of the National Park.
Kibale was first gazetted as a forest reserve in 1932 by the British. They realized it was urgent to protect the animals within the diverse tropical rainforest. The forest reserve was later formally converted into a National Park in 1993 by the Ugandan government to further protect the large area of the forest that was previously managed as a logged forest reserve.
The British, besides protecting the authentic nature of the park, collected hardwood from the forest that they used for a couple of purposes. Wild coffee was yet another treasure they extracted from the forest and so they had to protect it at all costs due to the unusual benefits it had.
However, they always planted trees in areas where they extracted others. The locals gained ownership of the park in the early 1990s and have retained its authenticity to date.
Major attractions of Kibale National Park and its uniqueness.
The major attractions of Kibale National Park are the chimpanzees. This attracts several travelers from all corners of the world who wish to watch them up close, take pictures with them, and learn more about their fascinating behaviors.
The uniqueness of Kibale National Park lies in the large scale of biodiversity it harbors and its attractive evergreen tropical rainforest. It offers some of the most exciting walks in nature one could have in a lifetime, a reason why it should be checked out by travelers seeking unforgettable adventures.
Other attractions of the park.
Other wildlife species. Apart from chimpanzees, Kibale National Park is a concentration of a variety of wildlife species living in its intact rainforest. Some of the wildlife species in the park include Bushbucks, blue and red duikers, sitatungas, giant forest hogs, African buffaloes, bush pigs, and rare sightings of African bush elephants.
Crater lakes. The National Park also hosts the beautiful crater lakes of Ndali and Kasenda. Travelers to the park enjoy hiking to watch them since they are great areas for photography and sightseeing due to the beautiful scenery they present.
Bigodi wetland. This is a renowned sanctuary on the outskirts of the National Park. Visitors enjoy exploring the wetland since it is a concentration of a variety of bird species. At least 250 bird species have been observed in the wetland and therefore the guests to the wetland stand a high chance of observing them too.
Other primates. Kibale National Park is not only limited to chimpanzees but also hosts a bunch of other attractive primates including lhoests, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, Uganda red colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys.
Culture. The park is home to the authentic African culture that visitors to the park can get to witness. Visits are launched to the local communities that showcase the traditional way of life of African society. Guests have the opportunity to visit the homesteads of the Bakonzo and Batoro in the neighborhoods of the park to interact and learn more about their way of life.
What to do when in Kibale National Park.
Chimpanzee trekking and habituation. Visitors to the park have the opportunity to trek the already habituated chimpanzee families. They live in families of individuals of about 50 to 150. Visitors can also indulge in chimpanzee habituation.
They get to engage with researchers and conservationists to help familiarize the chimpanzees with human beings. The experience of being close to chimpanzees is indeed worthwhile.
Nature walks. This helps the visitors immerse themselves in the power and beauty of the intact tropical rainforests and observe the variety of flora and fauna species the park is endowed with.
Bush crafts for kids. There is a crafting center where the kids can always be left especially when the adults go for chimpanzee tricking. Kids are taught about how to make local crafts, especially mats, hats, and other home crafts.
Travelers also have the opportunity to buy souvenirs from the shops at the craft center which help act as reminders for their journeys in Uganda.
Bird watching.
This is usually done at designated sites within the forests and the state-of-the-art binoculars fixed on them to help the travelers watch both near and far bird species.
Crater lake tours. They are launched to the magnificent craters of Ndali and Kasenda. Visitors enjoy exploring around the crater lakes.
The crater lakes present beautiful views that are good for relaxation and give a chance to travelers to reflect upon the beauty of nature.
When to visit and how to access Kibale National Park.
The dry months of the year are the most appropriate months in which one can embark on exploring Kibale National Park to the fullest. The dry months usually are the months from June to September and December to February.
Kibale National Park can be accessed through the Kampala – Mubende – Fort Portal road. It is approximately 326-kilometer from Kampala to the National Park and takes about a six-hour drive. The park is about 26 kilometers from Fort Portal city.
