The Kibale equatorial rainforest
is best known for its healthy population of 500 chimpanzees. There are 12 other primate species, including baboon and red, black
and white colobus monkey. Other mammals include buffalo, duiker, civet
cat and the third largest population of elephant in Uganda. These are forest elephants, smaller and hairier than their savannah
counterparts. Birds are abundant with at least 325 species, as are
clouds of fluttering butterflies. It’s an enchanting park full
of lakes, grasslands, marshes and forests. It is 30kms south of Fort Portal
at the northeastern end of the Rwenzori Mountains in western Uganda.
Fort Portal itself is nothing more than an overgrown village, but
is a pleasant enough place surrounded by tea plantations.
Kibale National Park covers 766 sq km of pristine tropical forest
with tall trees - some over 50 metres - broad buttress roots, and dense
undergrowth. The highlight in Kibale National Park is to go chimpanzee
tracking. There are five groups of chimps that have been partially
habituated to humans. Unlike the gorillas, they are less likely to
be spotted. They are often high up in the trees or moving quickly away. On
any such track, you have around a 60% chance of seeing them. Tracking
starts at the Kanyanchu Tourist Centre at the entrance to the park
where you will meet the experienced guides and rangers – all
with expert knowledge of Kibale’s flora and fauna.
Chimpanzee tracking lasts 2-4 hours and is restricted to four groups
of four people twice a day. If you are fortunate enough to find
them
keeping up with them can be quite a challenge once they decide to move on at high speed through the branches.
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