Kibale Forest National Park (commonly known as Kibale National Park) is one of Uganda’s premier wildlife destinations, a lush, protected tropical rainforest in western Uganda. Renowned worldwide as the prime location for chimpanzee trekking, it boasts one of the highest concentrations and greatest diversity of primates in Africa.
Spanning approximately 795 km² (with some sources noting around 766–795 km²), the park sits in the Kabarole district (near Fort Portal), at elevations ranging from about 1,100 m to over 2,600 m. This varied altitude creates a mosaic of habitats: from moist evergreen rainforest and montane forest to woodland and small savanna patches on the rift valley floor. The park connects to Queen Elizabeth National Park, forming an important wildlife corridor.
Primate Paradise
Kibale is home to 13 primate species, including Uganda’s largest population of chimpanzees — around 1,500 individuals out of the country’s total of about 5,000. Chimpanzee tracking (and the more immersive chimpanzee habituation experience) is the park’s flagship activity, allowing visitors to observe these intelligent, social primates in their natural habitat, often at close range.
Other primates frequently encountered include:
- Red colobus
- Black-and-white colobus
- L’Hoest’s monkey
- Grey-cheeked mangabey
- Blue monkeys
- Olive baboons
- And several others
The park also supports 71 mammal species (including forest elephants, buffaloes, duikers, and bush pigs), over 370 bird species (making it a birdwatcher’s delight), and around 350 tree species.
