Kaniyo Pabidi Forest
Kaniyo Pabidi Forest: Kaniyo Pabidi forest is located in the southern part of Murchison Falls National Park in the northwestern part of the country. The forest is known for harboring chimpanzees, the closest relatives to human beings, and several bird species. Apart from birds and chimpanzees, Kaniyo Pabidi is home to other wildlife species such as African elephants, bush bucks, buffaloes, duikers, monkeys, and olive baboons, to mention but a few.
On a safari to Murchison Falls National Park, Kaniyo Pabidi is a place to visit for bird watching, where birders will be able to see some of the 360 bird species. The same forest is home to chimpanzees, which tourists can see by participating in trekking and habituation activities. Below are the top activities tourists can engage in while in Kaniyo Papidi Forest
Chimpanzee trekking and habituation in Kaniyo Pabidi Forest
Chimpanzee trekking is a popular activity carried out in Kaniyo Pabidi Forest, and it’s done by tourists who are interested in seeing chimpanzees in their natural habitats. Chimpanzees are the closest relatives to human beings which makes travelers from all over the world want to see them in the wild.
Chimpanzees in this forest are wild, habituated, or semi-habituated. Tourists are allowed to visit the semi-habituated chimpanzees for habituation and the already habituated chimpanzees for trekking. There are armed ranger guides who are ready to take you to the jungle to see these chimpanzees.
To meet the chimpanzees of Kaniyo Pabido Forest, you need to have trekking or habituation permits. These are documents that allow one to get involved in these activities. Trekking chimpanzees costs $120 for foreign non-residents, $110 for foreign residents, and $75 for Ugandan citizens in the high season, while in the low season, it costs $110 for foreign non-residents, $100 for foreign residents, and $70 for Ugandan citizens.
Chimpanzee trekking and habituation in Budongo Forest start with a briefing where trekkers are taught the dos and don’ts of the activity. Grouping is done, and armed ranger guides lead the trekkers to the jungle, where different trails are used to search for the chimpanzees could be. The search takes 2 to 3 hours, and when the chimpanzees are spotted, trekkers get to spend time around the chimpanzees.
Chimpanzee trekking comes with 1 hour around the fully habituated members, and this allows the trekkers to see them carry out daily activities like nesting, hunting, playing, mating, breastfeeding, and much more. Trekkers are able to learn about their habits which enables one to compare them with those of human beings.
Chimpanzee habituation comes with being around the chimpanzees for a whole day. Trekkers are accompanied by doctors and researchers, and they do activities that enable these chimpanzees to get used to human beings around them. While around the chimpanzees, trekkers are allowed to capture photos and videos.
Birdwatching
The second activity done in Kaniyo Pabidi forest is bird watching where bird lovers go inside the forest to search for different bird species. This forest is a home to over 360 bird species with some being endemic to the area like the puvel’s illadopsis. Bird watching within this forest is carried out with the help of armed ranger guides and well-informed birders.
Birds to look out for in Kaniyo Pabidi forest include the white-thighed hornbill, piping hornbill, black headed paradise, melodious forest robin, western black-headed oriole, yellow and grey longbill, yellow-footed flycatcher, chocolate-backed kingfisher, great blue turaco, white thighed hornbill, little green sunbird, African dwarf, and western crested guineafowl.
Other notable bird species in Kaniyo Pabidi include Ituri batis, little greenbul, black billed turaco, black caped apalis, chestnut caped flycatcher, rufous crowned eremomela, chestnut caped flycatcher, lemon bellied crombec, crested malimbe, red headed blue bill, yellow footed flycatcher, white thighed hornbill, African pygmy, olive green camaroptera, narina trogon, dusky long tailed cuckoo, green twinspot, and crown hawk eagle to mention but a few.
Tourists who are interested in bird watching in Kaniyo Pabidi Forest will do so at a fee. They do pay bird watching fees and also entrance to Murchison Falls National Park since the forest is inside the park. Entrance to the park costs $45 for foreign non-residents, $35 for foreign residents, $30 Rest of Africa, and UGX25,000 for citizens of East African Member states. Bird watching in Kaniyo Pabidi costs $25 for foreign non-residents, $20 for foreign residents, and UGX20,000 for citizens of East African member states.
When to take a visit to Kaniyo Pabidi Forest
The driest months of the year, June to September and December to February, are the best to take a visit to Kaniyo Pabidi Forest. These months have little rainfall and plenty of sunshine which keeps the trails in the forest dry and easier to navigate. The vegetation is short, and this gives the tourists a clear view of the forest attractions.
Tourists may still visit Kaniyo Pabidi Forest during the rainy season, for it’s always open. Tourists who travel during the rainy season months benefit from the discounted travel packages as tour operators reduce prices to attract the few travelers. Tourists should however, know that March to May and October to November have plenty of rainfall and little sunshine which makes the activity less interesting.
How to get to Kaniyo Pabidi Forest
To get to Kaniyo Pabidi forest, tourists can use road transport or air transport, and all these take one day. By road transport, tourists drive through Luwero, Nakasongola, and Masindi to the park taking 5 to 6 hours. By air transport, tourists can fly to Pakuba airstrip and then drive to the forest or lodge where they are to spend a night.
