It is a known secret among travel enthusiasts that an encounter with primates in their
natural habitats is one of the most humbling human experiences ever. In Uganda’s
southwest, approximately 350 kilometers from Kampala, her capital city, Kibale
National Park offers as much chance of any such experience as anywhere in the
world. Boasting an East-African record-high 13 different primate species including
over 1,500 endangered chimpanzees within its 795 square kilometers land cover,
Kibale National Park also boasts Uganda’s most beautiful and diversified tropical
forest cover which gently adorns the Northern and Central parts of the park on the
Fort Portal and Kibale plateaus, the latter northernmost point standing at a
staggering 1,590 meters above sea level while the lowest point is 1,100 meters on
the floor of the Albertine Rift Valley to the South.
Kibale National Park is the perfect chimpanzee tracking destination, often offering
unique opportunities for habituation to create even more immersive and life-changing
experiences with the primates which share up to 90% DNA with humans and have
been endearingly called “our cousins”. The park is also home to the exciting yet
uncommon L’Hoest’s monkeys, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, grey cheeked
mangabeys and East Africa’s largest population of the endangered red colobus
monkeys. This, in addition to a variety of wildlife species like forest elephants,
buffaloes, antelopes, leopards, bush pigs and duikers, all which can be tracked and
seen even though the giant trees, some rising over as high as 55 meters and thought
to be over 200 years old provide perfect cover in this vast expanse of wet tropical
forest of the Fort Portal plateau all through to the savanna and woodland of the rift
valley.
Commonly referred to as a Birder’s Paradise, Kibale National Park is home to over
330 different bird species, including 6 that are native to the Albertine Rift Valley area;
the black-capped apalis, purple-breasted sunbird, collared apalis, dusky
crimsonwing, blue-headed sunbird and red-faced woodland warbler. Add to these
other birders’ specials like the Abyssinian ground thrush, African pitta, black beeeater, yellow rumped tinker bird to name a few and you have in Kibale, a perfect
birding destination.
Beautifully complimenting the awe-inspiring scenery of Kibale National Park are the
equally fascinating culture and ways of the Batooro people whose Tooro Kingdom
palace casts a domineering pose from the top of Karuzika hill in the vibrant Fort
Portal City. The soft-spoken, gentle and peaceful spirit of the Batooro will have you
questioning your own anxieties while their rich culture, rooted in the values of unity
and togetherness is a balm to the traveler’s soul.
A trip to Kibale National Park is more than just an ordinary safari. It is bigger than just
an encounter with the wild. A trip to Kibale National Park is a stark realization of who
we are as a species, an interaction with the park’s primates especially chimpanzees
a rare glimpse into the very soul of man before the last stage of evolution eroded the
purity and perfection contained inherently. Where the primates awaken intrigue, the
deep tropical forests will inspire a renewing of the soul while the singing birds restore
balance into the traveler’s psyche.
Visit Kibale National Park today!