Are you curious about Kibale? Well, there is a lot to learn about this National Park. In 1932, the area where Kibale is located was first protected as a royal forest area by the British.
They used it to get hardwood from eucalyptus, cypress, and pine trees they had planted, as well as wild coffee. These helped meet the growing demand for firewood and poles from the nearby tea factories.
In the 1950s, the need for hardwood from trees like Fagara and Mahogany increased because of the construction of the Kalembe copper mines in Kasese. By 1948, tree cutting continued, and the area was declared a forest reserve.
Kibale National Park was officially created in 1993 with the main goal of protecting the great variety of plants and animals in the forest. In early 1994, Uganda National Parks took full control of its conservation. Later, more organizations joined the work.
A government body in charge of Kibale and other national parks teamed up with the Game Department of Uganda to make sure the game reserves, sanctuaries, and hunting areas were well managed.
From this effort, the Uganda Wildlife Authority was created. It has played a big role in protecting and managing wildlife in Kibale Forest. This body truly deserves appreciation for helping Kibale National Park become one of the best tourist places in the world.
To protect the park, in the 1970s and 1980s, over 13,000 people were moved out of the area because their growing numbers were putting pressure on the forest. They were also practicing poor farming methods. In 1992, the government moved them to Kibaale District.
Over time, many activities were added to the park. Chimpanzee trekking was introduced in 1993 and still takes place today, starting at the Kanyanchu area. This gives tourists a great chance to see many chimpanzees.
Because of the large number of chimps, the park was once recorded as a place that received many trekkers every year. It was named the “Capital of Primates,” with over 1,500 chimpanzees, more than 370 bird species, 250 types of butterflies, and 70 mammals.
Visit Kibale and discover its full history for yourself.
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