Wildlife in Kibale National Park

Wildlife in Kibale National Park is one of the reasons as to why visitors flock the park year after year. Kibale National Park is preserved as Uganda’s best chimpanzee tracking destination, covering over 766 square kilometres of space. Located in western Uganda, Kibale National Park is a great primate destination, as well as so much more including the abundant wildlife in Kibale National Park.

Kibale Vegetation

Kibale National Park is predominantly a rainforest, for Kibale Forest is just what the park. Kibale National Park is composed of tropical rainforest, tracts of grassland and swamp, with altitude ranges of 1100-1590m. Kibale National Park has over 200 tree species, with Afromontane and western lowland forest thereby supporting a very dense tangle of lianas and epiphytes, with the thick undergrowth having wild Robusta coffee growing there.

Primates in Kibale National Park

Among the wildlife in Kibale National Park is the primates. Kibale National Park has the highest density of primates in Africa. The most common and sought after of the 13 primates in Kibale National Park is the chimpanzee, human’s closes relative with whom they share a 98% DNA. Kibale National Park has about 1450 chimpanzees roaming around the park premises. Other primates in Kibale National Park that travellers can encounter include the threatened red colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, black-and-white colobus monkey, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, bush bay and potto.

Other animals in Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park has at least 70 mammal species, with an estimated 500 elephants in the park, buffaloes, leopards, bush pigs, golden cats, wild dogs, among others can all be found in Kibale National Park

Birds in Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park has ab array of bird species that travellers can spend days looking out for. Kibale National Park is indeed a birder’s paradise, beaming with over 375 bird species like the African Pitta, Green-breasted Pitta, Crown Eagle, Red-chested owlet, Black-bee eater, Little Greenbul, African Grey Parrot, Collared Appalis, Purple-Breasted sunbird, Yellow Spotted Nicator, Abyssinian Ground-thrush, among so many others. Birders can get to experience and spot these amazing and variant bird species in Kibale National Park through guided nature walks, during which time keen birders can spot a good number of them, even 100 bird species if very keen and in the company of experienced bird guides.

Birds in Kibale National Park are around all year through, with March to May and September to November being the best time to enjoy bird watching in Kibale National Park. June to September is the main fruiting season and with the abundance of food, many birds are in a breeding rampage.

Kibale National Park also has about 250 butterfly species, 70 reptile and amphibians, with numerous other insects and wildlife in the park.

With all these amazing and abundant wildlife in Kibale National Park, travellers can enjoy so many activities in the park just to encounter them, say chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park, chimpanzee habituation experience, primate walks, nature walks, and bird watching activities can all be enjoyed in the park, thereby rewarding you with amazing sights of the abundant wildlife in Kibale National Park.

Best time to view wildlife in Kibale National Park

The dry season which occurs from the month of June to August and December to February is the best time for chimpanzee tracking and other activities in Kibale National Park. The wet season however is the best time for bird watching, for even migratory birds can be spotted then. Migratory birds can specifically be found in Kibale National Park from November to April.

How to get to Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park is found in the western part of Uganda, just about a 31 minutes’ drive from Fort Portal. Kibale National Park can be accessed from Kampala through Mubende town driving on a 300km tarmac road to Fort Portal and then proceeding to the park. Alternatively, the Kamwenge and Mbarara routes can also be used, though the northern route of Mubende-Fort Portal is much shorter.

Kibale National Park is one of the top attractions in Uganda that travellers often visit while on a Uganda safari tour. With so much wildlife in Kibale National Park, and a number of activities in Kibale National Park, travellers are sure to enjoy their stay here.