Kibale National Park
Kibale Forest – home to the world’s greatest concentration of primates
Kibale Forest National Park has the world’s greatest concentration of primates and is arguably the best place in Uganda to track chimpanzees.
The 13 types of primates include the common chimpanzee, and several species of Central African monkey: the Uganda mangabey (Lophocebus ugandae), the Ugandan red colobus (Procolobus tephrosceles) and the L’Hoest’s monkey. Other primates found in Kibale Forest include Olive Baboons, the Black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza) and the blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis). If we add the human primates at the forest-edge, let’s make that 14 😄
Quick facts about Kibale National Park (courtesy of Uganda Wildlife Authority)
- Kibale was designated a National Park in 1993
- Conservation purpose: “To conserve Kibale National Park, a high primate species diversity habitat including its unique, threatened and endangered species especially the chimpanzees while providing ecosystem services for the development of the culturally diverse people around and beyond the borders of the park.”
- Area: 795 km
- Medium altitude tropical rainforest
- Altitude: 1,590 metres (northern tip of the park) and 1,110 metres (southern tip of the park)
- Geology: Volcanic upland region associated with Western Rift Valley pre-cambrian fracture zone subject to minor earthquake tremors.
- Soils: Red ferralitic sandy loams
- Mean annual temperature ranges from 14 C to 27 C
- Mean annual rainfall ranges from 1,100 mm to 1,700 mm
- Rainy seasons: March – May / September – December
- Dry seasons: December – February / June – August
Kibale Forest has over 375 bird species. Kibale’s forest edge is a birder’s paradise too! The forest has over 250 species of butterflies and an even greater number of moths. Listen to “Seeing the light – moths and butterlies revealed. In conversation with entomologist Dr Michael Ochse, a regular guest at Sunbird Hill.
A few of Kibale’s primates! Baboons, Chimpanzees, Black and White Colobus, Red Colobus Monkeys, Uganda Mangabey. All photos COPYRIGHT Charlotte Diary of a Muzungu.
Kibale National Park’s primates
- Home to 13 species of primates, 372 birds, 350 trees and 71 mammals
- Population of over 1,450 chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, of which there are:
- More than 13 chimpanzee communities
- Three chimpanzee research stations (Ngogo, Sebitoli and Kanyawara)
- Three habituated chimpanzee communities (two research groups and one group for tourists to visit). Chimp tracking starts at Uganda Wildlife Authority’s Kanyanchu base on the southern side of Kibale Forest
- Two semi-habituated chimpanzee communities (Sebitoli research group and Buraiga tourism group).
- UPDATE 2024. A third family is being habituated for tourism.
The 13 primate species of Kibale National Park
Chimpanzee, Olive Baboon, Red-tailed monkey, Black and white colobus monkey, Red colobus monkey, Blue monkey, L’Hoest monkey, Vervet Monkey, Uganda Mangabey, Thomas’s Galago, Eastern / Elegant Needle-clawed Galago, Demidoff’s Galago and Potto.
Activities in the Kibale area
A few km outside the park boundary, Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is habitat for 138 bird species and numerous primates that are arguably easier to see (and photograph) than in the forest. The boardwalk through Magombe Swamp is well worth a visit! KAFRED offers Bigodi’s original swamp walk and has trained most of the local guides. The benefits of doing the swamp walk with KAFRED is that profits go directly to the community.
Scattered around Kibale and the town of Fort Portal are a collection of pretty crater lakes and hills. Some of Uganda’s best lodges sit on hills overlooking such lakes.
Kibale Forest edge proved to be the most wonderful place to spend lockdown and the inspiration for the East Africa Travel Podcast.
Kibale Forest welcomes Volcanoes Safaris!
Diary of a Muzungu is excited to share that Volcanoes Safaris “the pioneer of gorilla and chimpanzee ecotourism in Uganda and Rwanda since 1997” will soon be opening their fifth lodge, right on our doorstep: Kibale Forest!*
Although best known for its group of 1500 raucous chimpanzees, Kibale Forest’s chimps even have their NetFlix series. The whole Toro region has a mesmerizing landscape: mile after mile of rolling green hills, crater lakes and the essence of rural Ugandan life.
Built by hand, Kibale Lodge is thoughtfully designed to harmonize with the rocky outcrop that dominates the 150-acre site. The new luxury lodge will feature eight deluxe rooms, a villa, swimming pool, sauna and spa. I can’t wait to see the final result! The main lodge building will overlook Lake Lugembe in the lodge grounds, with sweeping views of the Rwenzori Mountains, famously known as the “Mountains of the Moon,” and a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth and the Kazinga Channel to the south.
This clip makes me fall in love ♥ with Kibale Forest all over again!
Like other Volcanoes Safaris properties, Kibale Lodge has been a long time in the making. Although we had wanted a lodge there for many years, there were no attractive large sites available. So five years ago we started assembling this site, centred on the breathtaking ridge above Lake Lugembe. Finally it has come together.
We have been assessing the topography, light, and weather patterns. The design and build style will ensure the lodge remains consistent with our ecological principles as well as retaining our Afro-chic ethos. The lodge will fit into the landscape in a seamless way, as if it always existed and just grew out of the earth.
Our style of building boutique lodges develops informally and in a fluid way. We like to bring out the natural essence of buildings.
Praveen Moman, the visionary founder of Volcanoes Safaris and a seasoned figure in Ugandan and Rwandan tourism
Kibale Lodge is the natural addition to Volcanoes Safaris’ existing circuit of four “great ape lodges,” these being: Bwindi Lodge, Mount Gahinga Lodge and Kyambura Gorge Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, Virunga Lodge in Rwanda. In 2023 alone, Volcanoes Safaris have won a series of awards including Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards and Marie Claire Sustainability Awards.
Vision
Volcanoes Safaris not only provides high levels of services (think: complimentary massages and personal butlers) in awe-inspiring locations but also distinguishes itself through unwavering dedication to great ape conservation and long-term investment in the local community.
We believe that the conservation of species such as the mountain gorilla has to be part of the economic mainstream to succeed; sensitive and controlled tourism has an essential role to play in conservation; and most of all, if an endangered species is to survive, the focus of conservation and tourism must be on communities getting tangible long-term benefits.
Praveen Moman
In Kibale Forest, the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust will collaborate with the Jane Goodall Institute Uganda. This is modelled on the successful community-based conservation projects that have been running at Kyambura Gorge Lodge for over a decade.
Drive times to Kibale Lodge
- An hour from Fort Portal.
- An hour from the airstrip at Kasese, ideal for daily flights to and from Entebbe, and the other Volcanoes Safaris lodges.
- 30 minutes to the starting point for chimp tracking at Kanyanchu in Kibale Forest, one of Africa’s best parks for viewing chimpanzees. Read Diary of a Muzungu’s firsthand account of chimp tracking in Kibale Forest in “Pant hoots and knuckle spins.”
Read more about Volcanoes Safaris’ lodges and conservation commitment on Diary of a Muzungu:
- The Challenge of Protecting the Great Apes and the Albertine Rift Albertine Rift Ecosystems and Great Apes: Conservation Challenges 2022 to 2050 (Volcanoes Safaris retreat 2022)
- Kyambura Gorge: wake up and smell the coffee, Rift Valley style
- Virunga Lodge: a 360-degree view of Rwanda’s volcanoes and lakes
- Mount Gahinga: can you name Mgahinga’s volcanoes?
Opening offer in 2024
Looking ahead, Kibale Lodge’s first three deluxe bandas will be ready for guests by May 2024; an additional five bandas will be unveiled by the year’s end. To celebrate this milestone, Volcanoes Safaris are offering a special opening promotion. Guests can combine their Kibale Lodge experience with gorilla trekking at Bwindi or Mount Gahinga Lodge and enjoy five nights for the price of four.
For more details, contact Volcanoes Safaris directly enquiries@volcanoessafaris.com – and do mention Diary of a Muzungu sent you 😉
*Regular Diary of a Muzungu readers know I am “blogger in residence” at Sunbird Hill, a few minutes drive from Kibale National Park.
Chimp Empire – Kibale’s chimpanzees star on Netflix!
Chimp Empire was filmed in Ngogo, Kibale Forest “the primate capital of the world,” Western Uganda
Regular Diary of a Muzungu readers know that I am “blogger in residence” at Sunbird Hill on the edge of Kibale Forest, western Uganda, famous for its population of several hundred – often vocal – chimpanzees. (Did you know I can lie in bed hearing the chimps call?)
Netflix’ latest release is Chimp Empire, set in Ngogo, a section of Kibale National Park that is dedicated to research and monitoring of our great ape cousins. The trailer is thrilling! PANT HOOTS and congratulations to everyone involved in this phenomenal Netflix production. Chimp Empire charts two years in the lives of dozens of Kibale Forest’s chimps. (I doubt any Hollywood blockbuster can contain more drama than the real lives of our Closest Cousins!)
Known as “our closest relative” humans and chimpanzees share almost the same DNA. Our similarities are evidenced in chimps’ complex relationships, emotions, differing personalities, advanced forms of communication, the ability to use tools, and so much more. They are beautiful, beguiling and hilarious too!
I never fail to get excited when we hear chimpanzees. Watch the trailer and you’ll understand why! These creatures are fascinating in their own right, but their close link to us makes their appeal even more compelling. Chimp tracking is one of the big draws to Uganda. Kibale National Park isn’t the only protected area where you can view chimps, but it is the best known.
“Chimp Empire: Survival is in Our Nature” is a four-part docume;ntary series that was released on April 19 2023. The series was directed by two Academy Award® winners: James Reed, Co-Director of My Octopus Teacher (an unusual and moving film set off the coast of South Africa) and narrated by Winner Mahershala Ali.
What’s it like to track chimps in the wild? Read my personal account of chimp tracking in Kibale Forest or contact one of the tour operators in my Travel Directory.
Ngogo is just a few km from my home at Sunbird Hill.
Pant hoots and knuckle spins – Chimp tracking in Kibale Forest
The muzungu’s experience tracking chimpanzees in Uganda’s Kibale Forest and some tips for would-be trackers!
Chimps are the drama queens par excellence.
Most of my chimp encounters have been here at Sunbird Hill on the edge of Kibale Forest, where we frequently hear their pant hoots and the deep sound of buttress drumming that echoes through the forest. Chimps use this noise to communicate when they find food; it may also indicate the group is about to move. It doesn’t matter how often we hear the chimpanzees, it’s always exciting. We look at each other and ask “what are the chimps up to now?!”
I’ve been wanting to track the chimps for years. My primatologist friend Julia Lloyd led the team that habituated chimpanzees that tourists visit in Kibale Forest. How could I track without her?
However, after a year living tantalisingly close to the forest action, I couldn’t wait any longer: one birthday Cath, a one-time VSO volunteer like me, booked to see the chimps.
I’ve heard stories of multiple groups of tourists converging on the same group of chimpanzees. That’s not what I wanted. I wondered what my experience would be like?
NOTE: I went chimp tracking in Kibale Forest before the pandemic. Scroll down to the comments to read the Standard Operating Procedures that you will be expected to follow if you track chimpanzees or gorillas from now on.
Pant hoots and knuckle spins
“Welcome to Kibale National Park, a tropical rainforest, known as the primate capital of the world because of its high number of chimpanzees. Our afternoon of chimp tracking may take one or three hours.”
Before we embark on our forest adventure, our ranger guide Benson explains how we will be tracking the Kanyantale chimpanzee community who move through the forest in groups. “They are communities rather than tight-knit families like gorillas.” Ntale is the local Rutoro word for lion (not on Kibale’s species list, you may be relieved to hear!)
I’m super excited when I realise that there will be only two of us (plus Benson) for our afternoon tracking. We’ve lucked out!
As we enter Kibale Forest, we see evidence of elephants: broken trees lie across our path. Benson points to muddy streaks on tree trunks, where elephants have been rubbing their hulks to clean themselves – and marking their territory at the same time.
It’s a warm humid day. Our noses detect a fruity smell and Benson points out a chimp’s (night) nest above us. At our feet are half-eaten figs. Among the decaying leaves, roots and tree trunks lie cross farum, big fruits beloved by chimps (and inedible to us).
It’s thrilling to be in the middle of the forest (rather than at its edge). I feel my lungs expand to take in every atom of forest air. It smells so good.
We walk uphill and down. Are the chimps watching us, high in the trees?
Fifteen minutes pass.
Benson tries to contact another ranger but his radio is off. We continue wandering through the forest, but there is no sign of the chimpanzees. They seem to have disappeared.
Are we going to see the chimpanzees? Perhaps today is not our day. I let the disappointment wash over me. I know I’ll have other chances and being in the forest is a delight all of its own, but what of Cath? For her sake, I hope today is our day.
We can’t see the chimps, nor can we hear them. Can Benson?
“Hello. Hello Musa? Hello?” Benson is on the phone. He sounds worried.
“I don’t know where he left the chimpanzees. I am tracking and I have failed.”
I stifle a giggle.
“They are almost at the boundary with Julia’s,” he tells us. “They are moving toward the community” (outside the National Park).
We walk off track, pushing through low-hanging branches and creepers. Our destination is a towering fig tree on the park boundary.
“They are starting to move seriously” and so are we! We are almost running now.
“Look at the knuckle print; it’s fresh!” And there in the soft mud is the perfect outline of a primate’s knuckle. This is what I have come to see.
“Do you hear them?” Benson quizzes us. “Let’s move now, quickly!”
“We are really tracking!” I say out loud.
We hear a noise and pause, assuming it will be chimpanzees. We listen more carefully and recognise it as the Western Nicator, a bird we know from Sunbird Hill on the other side of the elephant trench.
“It’s a big one. I can see it!”
Benson cranks up the excitement levels. “See – more knuckle prints!” We follow, alert. “We should see the chimpanzees any time.”
The knuckle prints stop.
“Look,” he says as he points to a knuckle spin on the muddy trail. “This is where he has turned around.”
We can clearly see where the animal has spun around. We retrace our steps.
“Chimpanzees don’t like wet ground or water.” (Luckily the muzungu has her gum boots on!)
We hear the screams of chimpanzees in the distance. We leave the track and walk across a small wooden plank into the sunlight.
I stumble. In our rush to see the chimpanzees, I fall down a hole that is hidden by leaves and vegetation.
“They are on the ground ahead!” says our guide.
The deep thud of buttress drumming resonates through the trees.
Ahead of me, Cath turns on her heels, wide-eyed and yells at me “THIS IS AMAZING!”
I’m breathless. I expect trees and I expect distance but somehow I have not factored in hills. We are climbing now. There is no path; in our haste, we trip over tree roots and branches. Benson is slightly anxious. He wants us to push on.
I glimpse black fur and a pink bottom. The chimpanzees are on the ground now, pacing steadily forward. We are moving through their territory now.
Piercing screams fill the air.
“WE ARE GOING TO MISS THEM!” Shouts our guide.
With my heart pounding, I pause to catch my breath. We are racing to cross the track before the chimpanzees disappear. I see one chimp ahead of us. We are very close to the park boundary and Julia’s land now.
To our left there is loud screaming. What a din!
Ahead of us two chimps walk on the ground.
“They are inviting the others for supper,” says our guide, now confident.
He points to the female chimpanzee in oestrus (ready to mate). She has a swollen and painful-looking pink bum.
“She is so attractive to males,” Benson adds. Well, clearly! Nine or ten noisy male chimps compete raucously for the three females who are in oestrus.
We crane our necks and look up through the canopy of the tall Ficus mucuso fig tree. Leaves and figs fall around us. Something lands in my eye. The air buzzes with fruit flies.
“See the baby?” We watch a mother chimp with a baby on her back.
Of the 120 chimpanzees in Kibale’s Kanyantale community, we see around 15 individuals.
[I tell you what, it’s difficult to photograph a moving black shadow when you’re straining to look upwards while kneeling in the undergrowth and being rained on by figs!]
“Look one of the chimpanzees is making a nest,” Benson says and points upwards. “Come quickly – before they climb.” (It’s easier to see and photograph the primates on the ground and lower branches). It’s about four in the afternoon.
I don’t seem to be able to walk fast enough right now! Gumboots are no match for the slippery forest floor.
“Tintina is looking for food, he is shy.”
Tintina is one of Kibale’s oldest chimpanzees. He’s 44 years old and “very musticular.” (This Uglish pronunciation always tickles me). He is calm “not like those other guys.” The forest is quiet now and we pause for a few minutes to absorb the moment.
Mzee Tabu! I congratulate myself on recognising Tabu, a well-known elder of the community.
Seconds later, the silence is broken. Screams come from every direction, above us and around us.
We crunch forest debris underfoot as we pick up the pace and stride onwards.
It’s now 4.30.
“But it’s time to go back now,” Benson tells us. “It’s
going to get dark and this is the time for elephants.” Kibale Forest clearly
still has more mysteries for us.
The muzungu’s chimp tracking tips
Chimpanzee tracking is a popular tourist activity, particularly here in Kibale where it’s the main draw for many visitors to Uganda. There’s no guarantee that you’ll see the chimpanzees yet there’s a 90% likelihood you will.
If you’re chimp tracking in Kibale Forest, you can track first thing in the morning or at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Morning tracking can be easier because the rangers will know where the chimps have slept. Others recommend tracking in the afternoon as chimps are more likely to be down on the ground (so you are not going to strain your neck for an hour!) We tracked on a Saturday afternoon at the end of September.
What should I wear to track chimps?
- The ideal footwear is ankle-high walking boots. There are plenty of holes, hidden tree trunks and tripping hazards galore. Protect those ankles. Trainers don’t give much grip. Gum boots protect your legs from nettles, thorns and ants (but I always feel dehydrated after wearing them for a few hours). Locals will say they like gum boots as they feel protected from snakes! (You are very unlikely to come across a snake when you are chimp tracking).
- Tuck your socks in. This keeps various creatures out!
- Carry a rain jacket. It can start raining anytime in the Kibale Forest. Clue: tropical rainforest!
- Take – and remember to drink – plenty of water.
What else do we know about the chimpanzees of Kibale National Park?
Kibale is home to 1,450 chimpanzees, according to the last census.
Research and tourism concentrates on 500 chimpanzees living in five communities. Three of them are the research communities of Kanyawara, Ngogo and Sebitoli. Two of the chimpanzee communities are open for tourism. Kanyanchu is the base for tracking the Kanyantale group. Barega is where tourists can participate in chimp habituation.
Chimp tracking rules
- Always pay heed to the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers’ advice.
- Keep a distance of ten metres at all times “but we have those stubborn ones that may come closer” says the ranger. (NOTE: because of high risks of primates catching COVID-19, the 10-metre rule is standard for both chimp and gorilla tracking now)
- Remember we share virtually the same genes. This makes chimpanzees (and mountain gorillas) highly susceptible to our everyday diseases, including Coronavirus.
- You should not enter any of Uganda’s great ape forests if you’re splattering and coughing. Be responsible and don’t track if you have a cold. (If you are ill, permits can be refunded, at the discretion of the authorities).
- If you want to make use of ‘the bush toilet’, go off trail. The guide will tell you what to do and (take your TP back home with you).
- Be as quiet as possible. Do not mimic the vocalisations of chimpanzees. (You don’t want to be responsible for what might happen next!)
- Don’t use flash photography
- You will have maximum one hour with the chimps. Get out from behind the camera 😊
A few facts about chimpanzees
- Every night chimpanzees make a new nest “to confuse predators such as crowned eagles, leopards and snakes.”
- The average lifespan of a wild chimpanzee is 55 years. They can live up to 65 years in captivity.
- A chimpanzee’s diet is fairly diverse (rather like we humans). 40% of their diet is figs, of which there are 13 different types in the forest. 30% of their diet is fresh meat, 10% is wasps, bees and honey. 10% is dead wood and soil which they consume for the minerals. Dr. Jane Goodall – famous for her ground-breaking study of the chimpanzees of Gombe in Tanzania – was the first person to observe chimps eating other animals. She observed them hunt and eat small mammals such as monkeys and watched them use sticks to extract termites.
- A female chimp will be in oestrus (ready to conceive) for 29 to 32 days every four years.
How much does it cost to track the chimpanzees in Kibale?
The cost to track chimpanzees in Kibale in 2022 is $200 per person. For this, you get to spend maximum one hour with the chimpanzees. You have to be 12 years or older to track chimpanzees in Kibale Forest (or anywhere else in Uganda). This age limit has been reduced from 15 years.
How to book chimp tracking permits
You can book chimp tracking permits through Uganda Wildlife Authority, National Forestry Authority (Kalinzu, Bugoma, Budongo) or through a tour operator. Some hotels and lodges can also arrange your chimp tracking tours. Visit my Travel Directory to find a tour operator or hotel.
Grateful every day #LockdownDiaries
A year locked down with nature: Kibale Forest birds – and the occasional rat!
As we approach the one-year anniversary of Uganda’s lockdown, I take a moment to record the everyday sights and sounds of life in my wooden house on the edge of Kibale National Park. It’s easy to forget how different my life is to most people’s. Will I ever live in a modern apartment block again, I wonder?
One of my favourite forest noises is the lead-coloured flycatcher, whose two-tone call is my morning alarm. I don’t want to miss a note of the dawn chorus; in fact, it’s the first thing I miss when I travel. The rich birdsong is the most heartrendingly beautiful start to my day. Nowhere in Uganda can match Kibale Forest for birdsong!
There is little to keep us awake at night, bar the sounds of the forest. Being close to the Rwenzori Mountains, we are also treated to the occasional SHUDDER of an earth tremor. Believe me dear reader, the earth really does move in these parts!
Other night-time noises from the edge of Kibale Forest include Wood Owls, Verreau’s Eagle Owls and Black-shouldered Nightjars. The bark of the bushbuck, the YAHOO of baboons and the eerie calls of the Black and White Colobus Monkeys punctuate the night. This morning we were woken by chimpanzees (jealously guarding a fruiting fig tree); frogs can make a racket too! Sometimes we hear elephants, or at least we are alerted to their presence: the sound of ululating children and the loud banging of jerry cans is the usual signal that we have elephant visitors. They are mostly silent but for the rhythmic swish… swish… swish… as they push through three-metre high grass. When the elephants get too close to our neighbours’ crops, rangers sound warning shots into the air. (Once the elephants were so close to my house, I swear I felt the ground tremble). Once in a while, we hear the splintering of wood as elephants fell trees.
Occasionally, we hear the noise of a container lorry moving over the speed humps that stud the road that runs through Kibale Forest. (Thankfully, we don’t hear them often).
My mornings start with a pot of tea on my balcony (after a quick glance at the floor to see which moths the bat has been eating from its roost high in my thatch!)
Early morning sounds vary according to the season. There are birds galore! The high-pitched twittering of Sunbirds, the squawking of Great Blue Turacos and the whistle of African Grey Parrots are joined by gregarious Black and White Casqued Hornbills that bang their cumbersome-looking beaks against tree trunks as they wipe them clean. Kibale Forest’s birds enthrall me! Primates are infrequent visitors to the family compound but Red-tailed Monkeys are known to raid the fig tree just before dawn (before the dogs wake up!)
Geckos are welcome housemates (they love eating mosquitoes!) They nest in the thatch and I often find their perfectly round white eggs on my wooden floor. Occasionally the eggs splatter to reveal their runny yellow yolk.
A rustle in the thatch generally denotes a gecko so it’s a sound I usually ignore, until recently when something bigger than a gecko moved noisily above my head. The small hole at the apex of the thatch lets in a few inches of light; next to it was the squirming black body of a medium-sized snake, coiled along the rafters! I imagine it had been sunbathing on my roof. (The grass is ordered and we’ll be sealing that hole in the thatch very soon Ma!)
While it’s still cool, I explore the forest edge. “You do know elephants blocked our way last night, don’t you?” Julia tells me. “Well, I do now!”
My morning walk-cum-runs along the edge of Kibale National Park have kept me sane this past year. My series of #LockdownDiaries are inspired by the healing effects of nature. Every day is different, should you choose to notice it: I have learned that rare L’Hoest’s Monkeys do visit the forest edge occasionally; I know that ‘cuckoos follow the caterpillars’ meaning hear a cuckoo and you will notice the caterpillars; it also means peak butterfly season is approaching.
A few days ago I had to do a quick U-turn when I saw three chimpanzees along the path ahead of me. During lockdown, the paths became so overgrown and unused that I would run through ten spiders’ webs every morning. (I could dedicate a whole blog to the various spiders that I share my house with! But would it be as scary as this story about night-time invaders?)
I often return home with wet trainers: the morning dew and wading through the flooded ‘elephant potholes’ trail (churned up by seismic elephant footprints) destroyed half my footwear during lockdown.
Sometimes I disturb monkeys on my morning walks. Tut tut tut they warn me, as I march on, undeterred by them (or the tenacious safari ants that can grab on and bite me, even when I’m moving). Occasionally, I hear the startled run of a bushbuck. It’s rare to see this large antelope but we sometimes hear him. What a loud ugly bark he has!
Back in my house, it’s time for a cold shower. Water is pumped up from the local stream by the solar pump (assuming we have a few hours of sunhine).
Over at the pit latrine – refurbished with a shiny mabati tin roof after the thatch rotted and slowly slid off – live a pair of Blue-headed Agama Lizards. A quivering tail pokes out from underneath the mirror on the outside wall. The mirror wobbles as the lizards hear me approach. “I have seen you!” I snigger.
The back of the latrine door bears the muddy nest of a hornet. I used to be terrified of wasps but I’ve learnt they leave us alone; just allow them their flight path while they’re building their nest (and stuffing it full of live caterpillars for their larvae to feed on) and you will be perfect housemates. Wasps build their nests inside furniture (and occasionally on clothes). Paper wasps are very good parents; they will spend almost every living moment sitting on their nest and will not disturb us humans. We live in harmony.
My day proceeds with a few hours at my desk overlooking the forest. Trees in the family compound grow so quickly that we only have a small window through to the forest at the moment.
The ‘bombs’ from the tall Cordia tree near my house make us jump out of our skins! The small hard fruits smash onto the tin roof of the store cupboard (the family’s temporary kitchen during lockdown). The ‘bombing’ can make for fraught nerves…
On Sunday mornings, we hear drumming from the local church, a few hundred metres from us. It’s low-key and we like it (which is just as well since the same rhythm may rumble for two hours or more!)
Lunch in the village is a simple affair. Most days we eat ‘staff lunch’ of posho and beans. I love katogo of matooke and groundnuts too (now you may understand why I have started running again!)
Mid-afternoon, the house skink runs up and down the wooden posts holding the thatch above the balcony. We regularly eyeball each other. (I hope that damned cat doesn’t get him).
I collect insects – inside my mosquito net. Today I have found a long-horned beetle. Last week there was a praying mantis inside my net. One time I was lying in bed and a rat ran over my foot. Note to self: tuck the net in a bit better!
We do our best to rat-proof, mouse-proof and insect-proof our belongings. If we are not careful, stuff gets munched. Food scraps must quickly go in bins with lids; dry goods must be in sealed plastic containers. Soap and computer cables are other favourite foods of rodents. Clothes must be shaken before wearing: one day Julia’s mum put on a jumper. A skink jumped out of it, then another, then another!
My open-air shower doubles as a washing-up station. Showering, birdwatching and doing the dishes – this is multitasking ‘forest-style’.
My life here as blogger in residence at Sunbird Hill is ‘a happy accident’. I moved here – temporarily – three years ago. It’s been an incredible place to spend lockdown and I am grateful everyday.
It doesn’t mean I don’t miss Kampala (but let me not start on the list of places and people that I miss!)
We toast goodbye to the working day with the occasional sundowner. Uganda Waragi – with freshly roasted ground nuts – is the tipple of choice. It’s usually dark by 7 o’clock and we retire early. I surround myself with books and immerse myself in podcasts. I sleep early, eagerly anticipating the next dawn chorus!
If you enjoy the Muzungu’s dispatches from the forest, read my #LockdownDiaries series and A forest wakes up.
A forest wakes up
Birdwatching my way through lockdown in Kibale Forest
Lockdown has found me on the edge of Kibale Forest in western Uganda where I live in a thatched wooden house on stilts a few hundred metres from the elephant trench that marks the boundary of the National Park.
Dawn chorus on the edge of Kibale National Park is so hypnotic that I’m regularly awake by 6.21 every morning, eager not to miss the Lead-coloured Flycatcher’s soothing two-note call, my usual morning alarm.
By contrast, the past few awakenings have been rather jarring. They may be grand birds on the wing but, when they are calling from your roof, Hornbills are not always so welcome!
I spend the first hour of every day birdwatching and drinking tea on the balcony at the front of my house. Here on the Equator, it gets light around 7 o’clock throughout the year.
The black-and-white Casqued Hornbills are bouncing around the fig tree before dawn. One hop, two hop, a Hornbill with a black head and matching casque hops up and down the tree boosted by a big flap of its wings. The branch sags low under its weight. The bird picks a small green fig the size of a Malteser with its cumbersome-looking beak. It throws back its almighty casqued head to swallow it. (It looks like a lot of effort for a tiny fruit). These sometimes-clumsy birds are dainty eaters. Who would have guessed?
A pair of Hornbills are joined by a third. As I watch, bird number one feeds the third one. Could this giant be their baby? They wipe their beaks left and right against the lichen-covered trunk. A bird bangs its hollow casque on a branch; the unusual noise fills the air.
There’s a flash of blue! The first of the Great Blue Turacos glides in.
Another Hornbill glides down onto a branch on the edge of Kibale Forest 500 metres from where I’m sitting. I trace its distinct silhouette against the dark green background.
It seems impossible that my movement might scare these noisy birds, but they panic easily. Seven Hornbills fly noisily into the forest. Smaller birds scatter in their wake.
The light is too poor for the camera so I just sit and watch. A pair of Ross’s Turacos hop and creep up the tree trunks. I contrast the dainty hops of the Ross’s with the clumsy antics of the Great Blue Turacos bouncing and crashing through the branches.
The sound of heavy wing beats signals the arrival of another Hornbill; a second loud wing beat follows close behind. They settle in the fig tree. Single caws suggest happiness and contentment.
Small birds swoop in twos and threes. They are non-descript in the early morning light. As the minutes pass, their blue sheen confirms they are purple-headed starlings.
Violet-backed Starlings now number more than 20. In bright sunshine, the plumage of these same birds appears bright pink. I love the seasonal twittering of flocks of starlings.
The caws have subdued. Six Hornbills sit silently except for the occasional beat of a wing as they move through the branches, scouring the tree for figs. The slender branches of this inconspicuous tree are stronger than they look.
From the village a few kilometres away, I hear the repetitive cawing and screeching of more Hornbills. As I watch the tree over the days and weeks that the figs are ripe, I notice a pattern: the Hornbills call loudly from the village before one, two, three birds fly towards the forest. They pause here at Sunbird Hill for a few minutes before resuming their flight to the forest where they pass the day. Wave after wave of twos and threes pass overhead every morning and evening.
By contrast, Great Blue Turacos can – believe it not – be far quieter.
I recall a morning when I heard leaves dropping from the canopy of another fig tree by my house. I looked up, amazed to see 12 GBTs gobbling figs. When the fruits are ripe, turacos glide in stealthily; the only thing you might hear is the whirr of wings, not a single call. While they feed, the only sounds are leaves and figs dropping to the ground. Disturb them and the mass evacuation will be panicked and noisy! Their feeding habits are in marked contrast to their otherwise gregarious behaviour.
I once spotted both Meyer’s and African Grey Parrots feeding in this same tree. “It’s very rare to see these two parrot species together” said our friend Ronald, a ranger and tourism warden with the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
A Hornbill heaves into flight. It flies head-first in my direction, veering to the right as it passes within ten feet of me.
One, two, four Hornbills depart for the warmth of the sunlit trees on the forest edge. There is a moment of quiet.
With little noise and no drama, the Great Blue Turaco population of the fig tree now numbers eight or more. The diversity of large fruit-eating birds is a sign of the forest’s abundance.
A flash of grey feathers catches my eye as I am sitting at the laptop. Seconds later, this striking Lizard Buzzard (plus wriggling lunch) lands in the tree a few metres from my desk. The remains of a long tail suggest it was eating a snake. (It was intriguing to note the reptile’s tail was still flexing, five minutes into the lunch session!)
Mid-afternoon the birdsong is almost deafening. (Who can work with so much distraction?) I am drawn onto the balcony to just sit amid the music. Two species of starlings entertain me. The African Blue Flycatcher and Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher weave colourful patterns in the lower branches of the fig trees. After a short absence, the Black-and-white (Vanga) Shrike flycatchers are back. A flash of red signals the head feathers of a Yellow-spotted Barbet. Hairy-breasted and Double-toothed Barbets are occasional afternoon visitors. Last year, this same fig tree was full of Barbets for several weeks; this year Hornbills, Turacos and Starlings steal the show.
As dusk approaches, a primate face peers through the bright green foliage of a medium-sized tree. It’s a dark-haired monkey with a white snub nose and white cheeks. It leans forward to grab young shoots and reclines to reveal a white belly. It’s one of many monkey visitors to the ripe fig tree. Each species has their timeslot; the Red-tailed Nkima Monkey appears after birds have had their fill.
I wrote this episode of my #LockdownDiaries for Alan Davies and Ruth Davies who are best known for identifying a record-breaking 4,341 bird species on their gruelling one-year world tour. You can read the original story on their website: A View From Uganda – A Forest Wakes Up – Kibale National Park. Alan and Ruth are regular birdwatching visitors to Uganda and we hope to see them here at Sunbird Hill one day!
We Asked for Fascinating Stories of Lockdown Abroad. And Wow, Did We Get Them
Fodor’s Travel writers around the world share what life is like under lockdown. (Scroll down to read how lockdown on the edge of Kibale Forest looks – one year down the line.)
Fodor’s Travel asks What are expats around the world doing during Coronavirus?
“With guidebooks that cover every continent except Antarctica, Fodor’s has a network of writers that extends across the globe. Some of our writers cover the places in which they grew up, while others are constantly on the move. Here, we’ve asked some of our expat writers what it’s like to be a travel writer who can’t return to their home country.”
Kibale Forest, western Uganda
March 25th 2020: “Lockdown is imminent in Uganda. The airport and borders are closed, and all schoolchildren were sent home two weeks ago. Bars, restaurants, markets, churches, and mosques are closed until further notice (and ban-breakers are being arrested). However, few people are taking social distancing seriously and with crowded public transport and densely populated slums, we are bracing ourselves for the worst. Until a couple of weeks ago, most Ugandans thought coronavirus was a disease that only affected China until we had our first confirmed case last week—a 36-year-old Ugandan man who had traveled to Dubai.
I live off-grid on the edge of Kibale National Park; I am in an enviable position. However, we are scared too. If one of us is ill, clinics are a long drive away and poorly-equipped when we get there. Although we are in such a lucky position, deep in the village and with a good supply of food, we have lost all our business. The capital Kampala is six hours away and my travel via public transport is no longer an option.
My income is from tourism. Most of my clients are tour operators and lodges who have had virtually all their trips and bookings canceled. We have no accommodation bookings. I’ve been alarmed at the lack of information online in Uganda about coronavirus, so I have published a blog about coronavirus that collates the best (verified) information. I’m updating it on a regular basis in my attempt to bridge the information gap here. It’s given me purpose too. Overall, I’m doing okay emotionally, but my biggest worry is my 70+-year old parents in the UK; I have not seen them for over a year.
We are prepared for full-on lockdown here in Kibale Forest. I now exercise every day and try to sleep well (and act silly as often as I can manage!) We start home-schooling my nine-year-old nephew this week — there are challenges in every direction we look!”
—Charlotte Beauvoisin’s profile on Fodor’s.com
You can read the full article, with contributions from 20 travel writers from across the world, on Fodor’s Travel.
“When she’s not traveling around East Africa, you’ll find Charlotte Beauvoisin watching chimpanzees and birds from the balcony of her wooden cottage on the edge of Kibale National Park, Uganda. She’s lived in Uganda since 2009 and has updated the Uganda section of Fodor’s Complete Guide to the African Safari. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.“
The Muzungu adds: I joke to Julia that we have ‘won the Lockdown Lottery.’ Every morning I walk the forest-edge trails of Sunbird Hill. It is quite something to have this all to ourselves and I treasure every moment: birding, butterfly-watching, and occasionally chimp watching too! There is so much to see, hear and learn about Kibale Forest, nature is throwing stories at me ‘thick and fast.’ Lockdown has given me the time to learn more bird calls, identify butterflies and Coleoptera (beetles), watch primates and teach my 9 year old nephew Dillon how to take photos. I know the trails like the back of my hand now…
I left the comforts of Kampala for a temporary sojourn on the edge of Kibale National Park. Two years later and I’m still based here! Since I’m frequently on the road – anywhere between Watamu on the Kenyan coast and Musanze in the northern province of Rwanda, lockdown in Kibale Forest – with no tourists – is in fact quite a treat, an opportunity to immerse myself in a beautiful corner of East Africa…
March 2021: Grateful everyday recalls a year of #LockdownDiaries – locked down with nature.
So how has lockdown been for you? Have you learned anything new? I hope you are managing to get outside too 🤗
My house is alive!
What is disturbing me? That simple answer eludes me tonight…
My house is alive!
(You know when there’s something in your house don’t you?)
I sense something… and wake in the dead of the night.
I’m accustomed to echos from the forest: the buttress drumming of chimpanzees, cicadas, the ‘yawning’ sound of black and white Colobus, the insistent call of the Red-chested Cuckoo, the occasional trumpeting of an elephant… but tonight’s noise is subtle. And it’s all around me.
I switch on the light, hoping I will hear the frightened scuttling noise of a mouse or rat. Nothing.
Faint sounds suggest the ‘pitter patter’ of rain but that’s not it. There is definitely something moving in my house…
I hear a rustling sound high in the thatch above my head.
I thump the mattress with my foot to try and disturb ‘it.’
Nothing.
My wooden house has big gaps between the floorboards. Every forest sound – and some of its creatures – permeate it. I bathe in the soothing sounds of the wild. I feel secure under my net.
And then THUD.
A big thud usually means a gecko – or occasionally a snake! – has fallen out of the thatch. I don’t see anything.
I fall out of bed but nothing moves in the alarm I’m trying to create.
I can’t be bothered to find my glasses but notice a wasp flying around my light (unusually active at this hour). On the floor is a moth, struggling to fly. I think nothing of it.
I put in my ear plugs and turn on my side for a minute… let me sleep…
Minutes pass but it’s no good, my senses are bristling now.
This time I get up properly. On with the glasses and – with just one eye open, fearing what I may see – I switch on the main light.
SIAFU!
Read: Ants With Attitude
Ahead of me, past the end of my bed, are a thousand black dots. A thousand moving black dots that are eating everything in their path.
Everything falls into place – the minuscule noises, the panicking insects, the sense that I am not alone…
When the siafu move in, EVERYTHING moves out. Moths, geckos and spiders scarper before the invasion of the ravenous, relentless army.
I don’t hesitate. I too scarper to the kitchen where I tear off my pyjamas as I feel the ants bite.
By 7.30 am – just two hours later – there is barely any evidence of the tiny reasons for abandoning my bed. (Have I imagined the invasion?)
All is quiet again.
All is still.
The only trace of the siafus’ passage is a fine dust debris…
In the morning I found this fragment of discarded snakeskin on my floor. My ‘siafu cleaning team’ had made a thorough job of cleaning the inside of my thatched roof!
Read more about my life on the edge of Kibale Forest.
Auntie Charlotte’s cottage features in “Amazing views from workplaces around the world” BBC.com
A window onto Kibale Forest
This month marks a year since I left Kampala to move (temporarily I thought!) upcountry. We often wake to the sounds of the forest: chimpanzees, black-and-white Colobus monkeys and Uganda Mangabey. Olive baboons would get into the compound were it not for the ever-vigilant dogs and mid-year, we can expect to hear hungry elephants walking across Julia’s land sniffing out our neighbours’ crops. As I write, a Great Blue Turaco coos from the thatch above my head.
I’m a country girl at heart and love life on the edge of Kibale National Park. Every few days there’s something new to see as changes in the weather attract different insects and birds.
I’m therefore thrilled to mark my anniversary month with my little home cum office “Auntie Charlotte’s cottage” featuring in “Amazing views from workplaces around the world” on bbc.com
Sarah Treleaven writes:
“Charlotte Beauvoisin first came to Uganda from the UK 10 years ago when she was fundraising for a conservation charity that focused on the prevention of elephant poaching.
She now lives in what is affectionately called “Auntie Charlotte’s cottage”, a tiny building made of wood with a thatched roof. Beauvoisin works from a desk with a view of the surrounding forest.
She spent her first few years dividing her time between Kampala and national parks, but more recently decided to move “up country” to a property owned by a primatologist friend.
Beauvoisin works from a desk with a view of the surrounding forest. The property has a stream and solar power. Neighbouring farmers grow cotton, pineapple and maize – but under the constant threat of elephants and baboons, which emerge from the forest and destroy crops. In recent years, the Ugandan government has launched a successful programme to reverse deforestation that involves paying farmers not to cut down trees.
Sunset reflected in the pond at Sunbird Hill on the edge of Kibale Forest. PHOTO Julia Lloyd
When the Internet works, she keeps a blog of her experiences. But mostly, she enjoys being immersed in nature. “We built a pond to increase biodiversity by attracting birds and butterflies, and within a week the pond was full of frogs and water scorpions,” she says. “It’s inspiring how nature just gets on with it even as we humans try our best to destroy it.””
The muzungu adds:
It’s 10 years since I arrived in Uganda as a VSO volunteer with the Uganda Conservation Foundation. That was my dream job – on paper at least!
The community of Kikarara near Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth National Park dance a thank you to the Uganda Conservation Foundation
Work trips took us to Queen Elizabeth National Park where we hung out with the rangers and learnt first-hand from impoverished farmers how elephants would trash their crops and thus their entire livelihoods. It’s quite humbling to live on the edge of such a community now.
Julia’s land touches Kibale National Park and we even have an elephant trench at the end of our garden. It’s funny how life goes full circle isn’t it?
The ‘esteemed’ primatologist referred to in the article is Julia Lloyd, highly regarded in conservation circles for leading the team that first habituated chimpanzees for tourism in Uganda. We’ve been buddies since Uganda Conservation Foundation days. She now runs the NGO In the Shadow of Chimpanzees which is based at Sunbird Hill.
If you’d like to read more about life on the edge of Kibale Forest, read A bed full of wings, or read about Sunbird Hill on Love birds, butterflies and chimps?
This story was published by @BBC_Capital in April 2019.
Chimping in “Chibale” (Kibale Forest) – a family affair
Welcome to Diary of a Muzungu! This week’s guest post is by Clare Park, a British tourist who visited Uganda with her family recently. She writes “We are all keen nature and animal lovers and have been to Africa several times before, but never Uganda. We all had a truly, truly wonderful time! Every part of our Uganda holiday was so special. We relive it often through the photos and videos and will absolutely return.”
A highlight of Clare’s trip was chimp trekking in Kibale Forest – it makes exciting reading!
Clare writes:
I have always wanted to see chimps in their natural environment. I studied clinical language sciences at uni. This included linguistics and the study of chimp versus human communication. It was fascinating. I love all animals, but particularly primates, and would one day like to work with them – ideally studying their non-verbal language.
We recently had the privilege of spending two weeks with my cousin’s cousin Malcolm Wilson who lived in Uganda for 17 years and now lives in South Africa. Malcolm visits Uganda regularly to guide bird (and bird ringing) trips. Kibale Forest was on the circuit he had planned for us to share the wonders of this beautiful country. We stayed with a friend of his who has studied chimps for many years: Julia has a beautiful home overlooking Kibale Forest. It’s a very special place to stay.
The Park family used Sunbird Hill as their base while they were chimp tracking in Kibale Forest. Clare is seated top left. Expert ornithologist and bird ringer / birder Malcolm is seated bottom left.
We were all overwhelmed when we arrived at the stunning location. Sunbird Hill – where Julia has built her family home – is now offering B and B. We were greeted so warmly and, as the sun was setting, were offered gin and tonic – but no ordinary gin – Uganda Waragi gin in a sachet! Even better, there was ice and lemon to accompany the gin – things which we hadn’t been able to get since arriving in Uganda and staying at various other lodges. It was a perfect drink in a perfect location to start our chimp trekking experience.
A pair of Chimpanzee feet, high in the canopy of a fig tree. This photo was taken from Sunbird Hill, Kibale Forest edge
The following day my husband Mike, daughters Amy (22) and Bea (17) and son Ed (19) set off to do our much longed-for chimp trekking. Our driver took us to the Uganda Wildlife Authority office 3 km from Sunbird Hill to register for our chimp trekking before setting off. Here we were assigned a ranger who had years of experience with the chimpanzees. The rangers know this chimp community of Kibale Forest intimately, having studied them closely and worked to habituate some of the chimpanzees. Habituation means that when tourists enter Kibale Forest, chimps see them as neutral and continue about their daily lives as if no-one is watching.
After a briefing from our guide about “the do’s and don’ts of chimp trekking” we soon entered Kibale Forest’s tall tree canopy and rich vegetation. Ahead, rangers communicate the location of where the chimps are to be found. We soon located an adolescent female chimp of around 13 years old. She was feeding from a tree when we first saw her, eating some berries. We stood and looked up at her high on a branch enjoying her feast. She seemed unperturbed by us looking on. She then climbed down the tree and set off on the ground at quite a pace. Our ranger indicated for us to follow her, keeping a distance behind her of approximately eight metres. She would occasionally stop, have a look around, perhaps feed on something and then set off again. We had the privilege of her allowing us to follow her on the ground for about forty minutes. At one point she stopped and tore a piece of bark from a tree and started to lick it for fluid and scratch it to remove the bugs. She then put it on her shoulders to carry and set off again. The bark fell off after a few paces.
When you see a chimpanzee with a pink and swollen rear, it indicates she is in season
We were later informed by Julia, the resident chimp expert at Sunbird Hill, that this was a very unusual thing to observe. In her years of studying chimps, Julia had never seen a chimp attempt to carry anything on their shoulders. She was quite excited by what we had seen. We even had video footage to show her.
The female teenage chimp then climbed high into a tree and started feeding on fruits again. We were joined by several other groups of trekkers at this point and it did not seem right to stay any longer, so we headed back to base.
Even though it is usual to see large groups of chimps when trekking in Kibale Forest, the intimacy of being able to follow one chimp at proximity and to observe her going about her daily routine was very special. We learnt a lot about how she moved, fed, climbed, rested, broke wood and carried it. It was interesting to observe her character and note that she wasn’t seeking the company of other chimps. Julia commented that it is quite rare to see a chimp of this age on her own for such a lengthy period of time – and that she let us follow her. We all concluded that perhaps this female chimp had just needed some ‘time out’ on her own!
[A very short clip!]
My family were all very humbled by the time we spent observing her and we took many photos and videos. Nothing quite captures the specialness of seeing a chimpanzee in their natural environment.
The following day I decided I would return and do another trek: I needed another ‘ fix’ of chimps. One morning wasn’t enough for me, given my fascination with them.
After another early morning briefing, I was assigned a group with five other trekkers. Our ranger Moses was informed early on that there was a community of chimps nearby. We set off at a pace.
We approached a slight clearing in which sat several magnificent tall trees with their branches sprawling out horizontally, forming a ‘climbing frame’ for the chimps. Here the screeching of these fascinating creatures started and just didn’t stop. Chimps charged through the undergrowth, banging their feet on tree stumps to create a sound like a drum. Their mouths were open wide, baring their teeth as their vocal sounds rose in a crescendo. There were chimps everywhere – high in the canopy, on the ground, still, active, noisy, quiet – so many, I lost count. Old, young, big, small, feeding, playing, grooming, fighting. The behaviours I observed in that hour of observation are almost indescribable. Every few seconds there was a new noise to turn to, a rustle in the vegetation high or low, the sounds of animals swinging between trees and often dropping from height in pursuit of another chimp, either in play or threat. I took so many photos trying to capture the chaos of what I was witnessing; recordings of their non-verbal behaviour and audio recordings of their vocal communication.
Three chimpanzees grooming. Kibale Forest, western Uganda
We happened across three mature male chimps, sitting one behind each other on a broken branch on the ground. They all sat facing in one direction, the front one turning to the one behind sporadically to groom him. We were less than a few metres away. It was mesmerising watching them.
Two chimpanzees grooming. Kibale Forest, western Uganda
Two younger male chimps sat on the ground, taking it in turns to groom each other, working methodically from the head to the back to the legs. There seemed to be an unspoken rule of how long they groomed before turning around and letting the other groom in return. The non-verbal communication was fascinating to observe.
Another chimp lay on his back on some leaves to rest just in front of us. He rolled onto his side after a big yawn and lay there as if to say, ‘now that is more comfortable.’ It seemed so human.
After the hour of observation (which passed in a flash) we headed back to Uganda Wildlife Authority’s chimp trekking base office at Kanyanchu. Our whole group were somewhat overwhelmed and therefore quiet. Words couldn’t express what we had shared. I had several moments during the hour when my emotions got the better of me; I just welled up with joy at what we were experiencing. It was all just too much, in the most beautiful of ways.
As we headed back to base we had to cross the road which has recently been upgraded and tarmacked for improved access to the tourist area of Kibale Forest. Whilst it was probably needed at a practical level, there were grave concerns around how the increased volume and speed of traffic would impact the safety of the chimp communities. As we reached the tarmac we observed a community of chimps crossing the road – oblivious to the danger of the traffic. Fortunately, the rangers were there to intervene and stop the buses, coaches and other vehicles hurtling around the blind corner just as the entire community crossed: young and old, a baby on a mum’s back. We all held our breath as we watched them safely reach the other side of the road where the forest continued. It was a poignant end to an overwhelming experience and one couldn’t help wondering if modernising the road so traffic could pass through at greater speeds was in fact a big mistake. Time will tell – but there seemed to be much concern, understandably from the rangers.
Once back at UWA’s chimp trekking office, I said farewell to my group members and UWA guide Moses. He had observed how emotional I had been several times and realised just how very special our trek had been. The rangers said I would always be welcome there if I ever wanted to pursue my dream of watching and analysing non-verbal chimp communication, a life-long dream.
One day I will be back in Kibale Forest.
There was the option to do a further day in which you join a habituation group and go out with the rangers and researchers to continue the habituation of other chimp communities. Sadly, my family and I had to head off the next day.
Back at Sunbird Hill, my family were keen to hear how I had got on. At first, I felt reluctant to share just how different that morning’s chimp trekking had been compared to the day before. However, hand on heart, I can’t say one experience was better than the other. They were both totally unique. Observing the female chimp had been so intimate as we got to learn her movements and expressions. The second morning was such a contrast – I lost count of the number of chimps we saw – the noise, the chaos, the movements, the high energy of these fabulous creatures as they went about their everyday socialising. However, I was completely mentally exhausted after the second morning and, once I got back to our treehouse-style hut at Sunbird Hill, I found myself crying uncontrollably at the sheer wonder of what I had seen in the last 24 hours. It was everything – and way more than I could ever have imagined. It is quite impossible to translate the joy and happiness I experienced watching these highly intelligent and fascinating creatures. They are so close to us humans it is quite remarkable – and a little bit ‘Planet of the Apes’!
I think about Kibale Forest often and I know I will go back in some capacity to top up this beautiful lifetime experience.
The muzungu: Thanks Clare for sharing your fantastic experience! We look forward to seeing you again very soon 🙂
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Please read my Guests Posts page for guidelines on the kinds of stories I feature on Diary of a Muzungu.
A bed full of wings
Life on the edge of Kibale Forest during the rainy season
The chimpanzees of Kibale Forest have been screeching loudly for the past two weeks. I’ve stayed here at Sunbird Hill many times, but never have I heard them so close or so often.
On the drive back from Fort Portal yesterday, Julia stopped the car along the track to her land to enquire what John (in his bright yellow National Resistance Movement T-shirt) was working on. “I’m looking at the chimpanzees,” he said. And there they were, half a dozen of them, high in a medium size fig tree on the boundary of Kibale Forest.
A chimpanzee sits high in a tree in Kibale Forest bordering Sunbird Hill
Chimpanzee climbing down a fig tree, on the edge of Kibale Forest at Sunbird Hill
Today we venture to the forest edge, tracing the sound of the primates. “One of the females may be in oestrus,” says primatologist Julia, trying to explain the exuberant din.
On our walk, we come across a pile of fresh dung – full of industrious dung beetles. Where did the dung come from? We do not find any footprints – either elephant or buffalo – only a broken Albizzia branch. Elephants are known to love Albizzia trees; Julia has seen the elephants in the very same spot before.
We last saw elephants just five minutes’ drive from here. Julia filmed some Forest Elephants crossing the Fort Portal to Kamwenge Road that passes through Kibale Forest. You can see a short clip on the Sunbird Hill Facebook page below.
I saw a Forest Elephant last week too – from the back of a matatu taxi; the Ugandan passengers (particularly the toddler in front of me) were in awe!
Back at Sunbird Hill, we inspect the freshly-cut trails on our walk back towards the Birders’ Lounge. Flowers, flowers, everywhere: we’ve loved the Aloe flower; the Kagelia’s dark red flowers are striking, even beneath the dark canopy. The vantage point from Julia’s towering treehouse office reveals bright red Jatropha flowers that are not visible from the ground. From here, we have watched the Black-crowned Waxbills weave a dainty nest in the mango tree. The entrance is a narrow tunnel, below the nest itself.
Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher incubating eggs on its nest at Sunbird Hill on the edge of Kibale Forest
I’ve never seen so many nesting birds as we see now. The Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher has flown the nest, as has the African Blue Flycatcher. One morning after a heavy storm, Dillon noticed an Olive-bellied Sunbird chick and its nest on the ground. Julia scooped them up (away from the jaws of three dogs and a cat!) and moved them into a safer position. The chick survived. After a week, it was gone… we hope it survived.
It’s quarter to seven in the evening. In the distance I hear the Yellow-spotted Barbet (making a whirring noise, like a woodpecker). Closer by is Easter. We enjoyed his brother Christmas.
I wouldn’t annoy Easter the turkey!
The remaining turkey has had a reprieve. The family has become used to his comical gobbling noises. Easter has been renamed Easter 2019! No-one is in a rush to lose his friendly tones (although 7-year-old Dillon is petrified of this massive bird with an even bigger attitude!)
Today we have had a reprieve from the season’s thunderstorms and drizzle.
April sunset from Butterfly Cottage, Sunbird Hill
After Saturday morning’s heavy rain, we had a fiercely hot few hours of sunshine. Stepping onto the veranda at dusk was like walking into a filmset: my friends sat bathed in orange and pink light, in front of a ravishing backdrop of cotton wool cloud sky and the dark outline of the forest. The magical ambience was enhanced by the flickering of a thousand wings, a flight (can I call them that?) of enswa (white ants). They did not fly but floated, rising upwards from the long green grass (which clearly hid a termite mound!) I opened my eyes wide to take in every second of it.
The romance of the moment was short-lived as we batted away insect after insect, picked enswa from inside our clothes, our drinks and everywhere else!
Thankfully the enswa invasion was short-lived. The next day, the veranda – and even my mattress – was a sea of wings. The ants themselves had vanished.
Nights on the forest edge can be very dark. Last night Venus shone brightly above Kibale Forest.
Like these kinds of photos and stories? Then, let’s meet on the Sunbird Hill Facebook page!
Chasing chimps in Kibale? Then the Bee Hive is your next stop!
The Bee Hive Bar & Bistro Restaurant in Bigodi Town is a hit amongst travellers, tourists and locals.
The Bee Hive is conveniently located directly opposite the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary, along the excellent Fort Portal to Kamwenge Road. You can’t fail to miss the big brown and honey-coloured striped building!
Looking for a tourist restaurant near Fort Portal? Or somewhere to hang out between chimp tracking in Kibale Forest and Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary Walk?
Just five minutes’ drive from Kanyanchu (the meeting point for tracking chimps in Kibale National Park), The Bee Hive is a great stopover for coffee, tea or cold drinks after tracking the chimpanzees. The reasonably priced restaurant menu includes local favourites like pumpkin soup, goat stew and rolex (omelette in a chapati in case you haven’t tried one yet) as well as international dishes, beers, wine and spirits. On a previous visit, I really enjoyed tucking into the spaghetti bolognese (goat of course!)
If you’re a sports fan, The Bee Hive has a pool table with regular pool competitions. You can also watch sports and international news on their 50″ screen and satellite TV. (The Bee Hive is the only venue in the area with a back-up generator back-up – so you won’t miss any of the TV action).
The Bee Hive is recommended in the Bradt Uganda Guide edition 9, the current edition (2021). “Set in a conspicuous orange and brown two-storey building opposite the Bigodi Swamp Walk office, this pub-like venue has a pool table, a TV for watching Premier League and other major football matches and a first floor veranda offering views to the Rwenzori in clear weather. A tempting menu of stews, curries and grills is supplemented by cheaper burritos, breakfast (including Rolexes), fresh coffee and desserts. Mains in the US 4-5 dollar range.”
As the name hints, The Bee Hive also sells honey that is harvested from beehives positioned on the boundary of Kibale National Park to deter elephants crossing to villagers’ land. You can even take part in the unique “Bees and Elephants Tour” which I describe here in my Travel Directory.
I love these kinds of projects, as regular blog readers will remember from my days as a volunteer in elephant and community conservation. (Honey is such a great present to buy for folks back home).
Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks, I recommend The Bee Hive for good wholesome food, cold drinks (make mine a beer), coffees (Gorilla Conservation Coffee, of course!) ice-cream and a fab view of the countryside. Outside tourist lodges, The Bee Hive is the only restaurant and bar in the area that caters for both local and international tastes.
TIP: If you’re travelling in a group, or want to hold a private meeting call Erias the Manager on +256 (0)785 948488 to reserve your tables.
How to find The Bee Hive
The Bee Hive is midway between Fort Portal and Kamwenge, about 4 km south of Kanyanchu Tourist Centre. To be honest, you can’t miss it! It’s 38 km from Fort Portal and 3.5 km from Sunbird Hill.
For latest updates from the Bee Hive, like the Facebook page.
