Chimpanzee trips to the Primate capital of the world, Kibale Forest National park

Kibale forest National Park remains one the few tropical forests in Africa situated in western Uganda close to the mountain of the moon in Kabarole district. The parks cover about 795km and holds back one of the unique tracts of tropical forests in the pearl of Africa. It accommodates variety of wildlife species, for example, primates of about 13 species including the Chimpanzees, monkeys like, black and white colobus, L’Hoest, red tailed, blue monkeys among others, baboons and other primates. Chimpanzee trips is the major tourist activity carried out in Kibale forest National park.  The park prevails in the central and northern parts of national park on the plateau of fort portal tourism city. With Kibale forest National park, the northern side is the most moistened part of the park receiving an annual rainfall about 17000mm.

Kibale’s altitude aids variety of harbors stretching from the moisturized tropical forest through the dry woodlands and savanna on the rift valley floor situated around Kanyanchu in the in the central part of the park, while the high forest holds a mixture of beautiful evergreen trees, which rise over 55m and exhibit a semi closed canopy of stratified tree crowns. The under growth is sparse with shade shrubs, diversity of ferns and broad leaved forest grasses, with about 351 tree species accommodated by the national park.

The heterogeneity and bulk of primates in Kibale National park is the multistory in Africa. There are quiet number of species about 13 primate species of which the most famous are the chimpanzee which are 98.7% more less like the humans. Kibale in habits the rare L’Hoest monkey and the east Africa’s largest population of the endangered red colobus monkey, and among others which include the black and white colobus and blue monkey. The chimpanzee tracking in the capital primate of the world is an engrossing and a life time experience, averagely, the weight of an adult well grown male chimpanzee is between 35 and 70kilograms with the height of about 3meters, while as an adult female weighs between 26 and 50kg and its height is 2feet and 4feet. The life expectancy is 40years, where as those that live in captivity live up to 60 years.  Chimpanzee are intelligent, sociable or curious, and they communicate, they are capable of utilizing tools made out of rocks to pond nuts, use sticks to capture termites from holes, and use empty pods for hallowing out water. The above skills its believed that for long, have been passed from one generation to another. Chimpanzees live in a group of about 10 – 100 members where they parent each other’s young ones. The juvenile chimpanzees tend to be independent at 4years and these can be so aggressive and violent when inconvenienced.

In Kibale Forest national park, there are three chimpanzee session, which include morning, mid-morning and afternoon session. The chimpanzee permits costs $ 150 per person per chimp trek, while the ones that prefer spending more of time with the chimpanzee could opt for chimpanzee habituation experience that costs $ 220 per person as a whole day experience.

Chimpanzee feed on seeds, flowers, and also leaves.

The capital primate of the world is 26km south east of Fort port portal town the center for tourism activities. It can be accessed from either Kampala from the north or via Mubende, Kyenjojo, and fort portal or in the south from Mbarara district. There is availability of various accommodation facilities among them which include:  simple cottages at Sebitoli, camp sites, Kibale Primate lodge at Kanyanchu.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale forest national park (the capital primate of the world) is one of the fascinating activities in Uganda the pearl of Africa that nobody should miss out on the itinerary while on their safari to Uganda.