Kibale Forest National Park

For the primate enthusiast, Kibale is a must-see. Containing 13 primate species, this 296 mi² national park of lowland tropical rain forest, tropical deciduous forest, marshes grasslands and crater lakes possesses arguably the most dense and diverse population of primates in all of Africa.

In particular, Kibale is home to Uganda’s largest and most habituated chimpanzee population. Besides an escorted walk, visitors can also observe these chimpanzees via the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience. In contrast to the 3-hour walk, this is an all-day program. The day begins by watching chimps rousing themselves awake. Visitors than follow them around for the entire day, providing a unique opportunity for observation of their natural behavior and each chimp’s personality.

Other primates in Kibale include black-and-white colobus monkey, red colobus, gray-cheeked mangabey and red-tailed mangabey. Other animal species are the blue duiker, Harvey’s red duiker, bushbuck and bushpig. Kibale is also home to more than 250 butterfly species and over 350 bird species. Examples of the latter include green-breasted pitta, black bee-eater, white-headed wood hoopoe and the chestnut wattle-eye.