Kibale is one of the national parks known for its good number of wildlife as well as hosting both the tropical rain-forest and the dry savannas.
Due to its high concentration of primates, it has attracted various researchers to visit and study the behavior of these species and the forest as a whole.
The park was established in 1993, covering over 795 square kilometers of mostly moist evergreen and semi-deciduous forest with a rich ecosystem highlighted by many birds, mammals, primates, and butterflies.
Primates dominate the area with species such as chimpanzees, Ugandan red colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, to mention but a few. They feed on fruits, insects, leaves, flowers, and on rare occasions, chimps feed on meat while monkeys go the extra mile to grab some eggs, lizards, and small birds.
Since 1993, habituation has been taking place to help these animals get used to human presence, which has improved the chances of seeing them. Once in the park, you are free to take part in chimpanzee trekking if you paid for it and are 15 years or older. The trekking lasts between two to five hours.
Remember that Kibale was once a logging center, but with the help of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, there have been improvements. Instead of cutting down trees, they are now planting them.
Since 1994, more than 1.5 million indigenous trees have been planted, and many have reached maturity, restoring 6,700 hectares of the forest. This has helped life to grow and return to the area.
To keep Kibale Forest safe, research was carried out to find ways of stopping wildfires that could destroy the forest in one day. It also encouraged natural forest growth to take place, meaning grassland that formed due to human activity could naturally turn back into forest.
According to the results, tree species that need animals to spread their seeds were more common in areas where fires were stopped. This was good for environmentalists because the presence of these animal-spread trees in some grasslands can help forests grow again.
Another study showed that using exotic pine and cypress tree plantations can help restore many trees in the park through seed spreading by animals such as duikers, chimpanzees, monkeys, and bush pigs.
Visit Kibale National Park in Uganda with these recommended Uganda chimpanzee companies or inquire with us below to book your tour directly through this website.
