Kyambura Wildlife Reserve

Kyambura Wildlife Reserve

Kyambura Wildlife Reserve

Kyambura wildlife reserve is a home for many primates but the prominent ones are the habituated chimpanzees. The chimpanzees are endangered species and it is really interesting that they are also still present in Kyambura forest reserve with in Queen Elizabeth national park.  Many visitors say that kyambura wildlife reserve is the stunning section queen Elizabeth national park. Kyambura gorge is a real life drama of interesting chimpanzees. Chimpanzees live in the deep of a green rain forest strip within African savannah in Queen Elizabeth national park.

Kyambura forest reserve is hidden that many visitors to queen Elizabeth national park tend miss out on  this spectacular new world on its own within the natural environment. The game reserve was created toserve as a buffer zone because during the dry season the animals come and drink water from kyambura gorge. The steep slopes of kyambura gorge are said to have been formed by the water force from the flowing kyambura rive years ago.

Kyambura forest reserve is the best tourist destination for experimental tourism and habituated chimpanzee tracking within Uganda. The chimpanzees are found of coming down of the trees when they see the guests. This behavior of the chimpanzees will give you an opportunity take closer pictures and also studying them best. The chimpanzees in kyambura gorge are the second tourist attractions after the lions in Queen Elizabeth national park.

Apart from the chimpanzees found in kyambura gorge, kyambura wildlife reserve has a number of primate species that will entertain you during the nature walk through kyambura wildlife reserve. The other primates with in kyambura wild life reserve include; baboons, mokeys; vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue colobus monkeys, among others. Chimpanzee tracking in kyambura forest reserve however requires physically fit people since it involves walking for quite a long distance. The nature walk through kyambura gorge will expose you to a new world under the verdant tree canopies.

Kyambura gorge is drained by Kyambura River that connects to kazinga channel. Despite the fact that kyambura gorge is specifically for primates, but still it is also a birders paradise and also has many beautiful butterflies that will excite your mode. Kyambura gorge is also endowed with a lot of bird species. The beautiful scenery and the tall trees of kyambura wildlife reserve attract a number of birds to this area, for example; falcon, fly catchers, white napped pigeons, blue- headed Bee eaters, the fin foot African bird among others.  To note; kyambura gorge has a number of bird species that are categorized under the birds of global conservation concern.  Bird watching within kyambura wildlife reserve will excel your birding experience to another level.

Getting there;

Kyambura gorge is located on the north eastern side of Queen Elizabeth national park. Kyambumra is not so far from the queen Elizabeth national park headquarters. Kyambura gorge stretches over a distance of about 16km south of Lake George then it links to kazinga channel. The visitors’ Centre of kyambura gorge is found at the famous fig tree camp on the rim of kyambura George.

Chimpanzee tracking at kyambura wild reserve

Chimpanzee tracking the main activity at kyambura wildlife reserve also known by some as “the valley of apes” apart from chimpanzees other primates found in the kyambura wonders are the blue monkey, forest hogs, white Columbus monkeys, black Columbus monkeys, red tailed monkeys and olive baboons to name a few.

This chimpanzees are familiar with humans and carry their day to day activities in the presence of humans.

Chimpanzees build their nests on top of trees and rest there in at day time and for night use, chimpanzee’s day starts in the morning with fruit picking where they pick fruits randomly, however in the afternoon they become very selective on the most fruits and live out the raw ones.

Chimpanzees use tree stems against their enemies and can also use hooks or stems to deep in termite holes and when the termites cling they pick and eat at rare occasions chimpanzees are also seen killing small monkeys to supplement their diets.

The chimpanzee tracking visitors are required to be physically fit and the minimum age for trekking chimpanzees in kyambura wildlife life reserve is 12 years. chimpanzees offer great photo opportunities for photo lover and can pose in many styles.

Apart from chimpanzee tracking in kyambura wildlife reserve, one can take a birding safari tour or guides forest nature walk with an experienced tourist guide.

Kyambura wildlife reserve offers rich biodiversity supporting avian species such as falcons, blue headed bee eater, African broad bill, corncrake, lesser plus greater flamingoes, African skimmer, pink backed pelicans and white tailed lark among others.

Nearby accommodation to kyambura game reserve;

  • Mazike lodge the former kyambura gorge lodge
  • Engiri game lodge and campsite found in katunguru
  • Park view lodge found in kyambura
  • Buffalo safari lodge
  • Pumba safari cottages
  • Queen Elizabeth PVT lodge
  • Katara lodge
  • King fisher camp and
  • Jacana safari lodges within Queen Elizabeth national park and many more.

Human encroachment on the forest part at katsyoha- kitoma forest makes the chimpanzees movement for food limited. This is not so cool but these smart primates have always found a way of survival with in their community, and their number is increasing giving hope to the environmentalists and conservationists.

The kyambura wild life reserve makes Queen Elizabeth an outstanding national park of savannah vegetation with a strip of a rainforest that has a selection of unique primates and birds plus butterflies.

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