The park was gazetted in 1932 and established in 1993. Covering a 766 sqkm area and rising to an elevation of 1,600 masl at its highest point, this park, located in western Uganda, 348km from Kampala, consists of both lowland and montane forests.
Adjoining Queen Elizabeth National Park, the two parks form a continuous forest creating a 180km wildlife corridor, allowing elephants to criss-cross the parks. Lions are also known to occasionally visit the park.
Kibale prides itself for hosting 13 different primate species (highest in Africa) including 1,450 individual-habituated chimpanzees, making it the best location for chimpanzee tracking. Other primates include L' hoest's monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, bush babies, potto and East Africa's largest population of the endangered red colobus monkeys among others.
Other wildlife that can be seen within the park include African buffalo, red and blue duikers, bush backs, sitatunga's, common warthogs, leopards, African gold cats, servals, mongoose and two otter species. 325 bird species also call the park home including and not limited to the olive long-tailed cuckoo, western tinkerbird, two species of pittas and the grey parrot. The ground thrush is endemic to Kibale Forest National Park.
