Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
Kyambura Wildlife Reserve is a prominent place for primates most especially the great apes “the habituated chimpanzees” and other types of primates. The reserve is positioned on the north-eastern part and approximately 30 kilometres from Queen Elizabeth National park headquarters the most visited national park in Uganda. The kyambura gorge which harbours with variety of chimpanzees measures a distance of 11 kilometres and connects to the Kazinga channel which forms the northern boundary of the reserve.
Kyambura wild reserve is bordered to the west of Kyambura Gorge home to the various wildlife including primates in the park, the area of the reserve is covered with water sources and is surrounded by open savannah grassland that are habitant to a variety of animals. And it is notable that highest concentration of primate’s life in Queen Elizabeth national park live in the gorge such as chimpanzees, Red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus, baboons, vervet monkeys and many more, it is also known for variety of bird species like falcon, blue-headed bee eater, African fin foot among others.
Kyambura wildlife reserve is notable for endangered chimpanzees which have made a great section in Queen and it is really privileged that these great apes still exist in the park. To many visitors who have visited this reserve they opt it as a charming place with great sightseeing of the chimpanzees which are so closely related human genes which is said to be 98% DNA and they survive in deep green rainforest strip within tropical savannah in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Kyambura wild reserve is a natural forest that hides many unique primates and many visitors tend to miss out this remarkable natural environment when they visit the park. Most of the travellers who usually visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, do game drive not knowing that the park is too large to encounter its natural beauty. Kyambura wild reserve is found within the park so we recommend you next time or those who wish to visit Queen Elizabeth Park on a game drive adventure, never leave without reaching in the home of primates life. Visiting the Kyambura forest reserve expect more unique activities to be encountered in such as the most exciting chimpanzee tracking activities , birding as well as encountering the green vegetation around. However, the wild reserve was set up to serve as buffer zones because of too much sunshine which used to occur in the area and animals could come to drink water from kyambura gorge while the steep slopes of kyambura gorge were being formed by the water force from the flowing Kyambura river during the ancient years.
Kyambura forest reserve is famously known as the best primates destination on Uganda tours mostly for chimpanzee trekking which is an amazing experience where you get to know the social life of these apes. Through learning their behaviours, how they play in the forest, swinging on the tree branches, how they display their nests high on the tree during evening hours, you can as well have an opportunity to take pictures with them which is truly a humbling experience in lifetime and this activity involves in walking for quite long distance depending where the chimpanzees were seen the previous day ,you have to be physically fit in the body. These endangered chimpanzees which are habituated in kyambura gorge are the second tourist attractions after the unique tree-climbing lions which have famously made Queen Elizabeth National Park be among the most visited national parks on Uganda’s tours.
Besides being notable for habituated chimpanzees kyambura wildlife reserve is also a home to other primates that can be seen during guided nature walk along the reserve such as baboons, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue colobus monkeys, black and white monkeys and many more all these species can be exposed to you in a new world vast under the verdant tree canopies.
Despite the fact that Kyambura gorge is known for primates but it also acts as a haven for birders, beautiful buffer flies that can fill you with lots of excitement. The place has a spectacular view of beautiful scenery and lovely tree species of Kyambura forest reserve which attracts numerous birds in this area and it is well known that bird species of this area are comprised under the birds of global conservation concern areas. Encountering in bird watching within Kyambura wildlife reserve will reward you with great memorable birding experience in life.
Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge
The major activity at Kyambura wildlife reserve is chimpanzee trekking since it’s a valley of apes and other primates. This is really an amazing experience where travellers get closer to the related apes in the wilderness, learn about their lifestyle, this activity makes you experience the presence of this endangered chimpanzees. Chimpanzees feed on forest fruits, they can start eating from the morning and in the afternoon they become selective on the most fruits and live out the raw ones.
However, chimpanzees try to protect themselves from their enemies by use of hooks or tree stems and in regard the stem helps them to deep in termite holes which they pick for eating. And sometimes they seem to kill small monkeys to supplement their body diets.
To engage in chimpanzee trekking it requires tourists to be energetic enough and children below 15 years are not allowed to participate in. Guided nature walks along birding in the reserve require an experienced guide who tells you about the birds of this area and the history concerning the Kyambura wild reserve. The reserve supports rich biodiversity like greater flamingos, African skimmer, pink backed pelicans, blue-headed bee eater, African broadbill, corncrake, falcons among others.
Travellers shouldn’t get worried where to sleep when it comes to exploring Kyambura wildlife reserve in Queen Elizabeth National Park because there are many nice accommodation facilities which are located near the reserve and these include Pumba Safari Cottages, Katara lodge, King Fisher Camp, Queen Elizabeth PVT lodge, Buffalo safari lodge, Mazike lodge, park view lodge, Jacana safari lodge among others.
Getting there
Kyambura wildlife reserve sits in the north-eastern part of Queen Elizabeth national park’s headquarter inside Queen Elizabeth National Park and it can be easily accessed on road from Kampala City to the Reserve within 5 to 6 hours. Another option is by Air you can fly from Entebbe International Airport to Mweya Airstrip within 1hour & 15 minutes.
The kyambura wildlife reserve stands as a primate’s area and a haven for birds plus butterflies which inhabit the savannah rain forest in Queen Elizabeth National park. The primates encountered in this area have absolutely highlighted on Uganda’s tours within Queen.
