Kaniyo Pabidi Forest is located inside Murchison Falls National Park. It is a quiet, peaceful place with rich natural beauty and many types of wildlife. Book a chimpanzee trekking trip here as part of your Murchison Falls safari.
Location and Size
The forest covers about 8 square kilometers and is filled with hardwood trees like mahogany and ironwood. These trees provide shelter and food for many animals.
Kaniyo Pabidi Forest sits in the southern part of Murchison Falls National Park, about 8 kilometers from Kichumbanyobo Gate. Its location makes it easy for tourists to visit for chimpanzee trekking, bird watching, and nature walks. It takes around 30 minutes to drive from Masindi town to the forest.
Chimpanzees and Other Primates
The forest is well known for its chimpanzees, home to about 120 individuals, making it one of the best places for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. These chimpanzees are used to people, so tourists can watch them in the wild without causing stress to the animals.
Other primates in the forest include olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, pottos, and galagos.
Birdlife in Kaniyo Pabidi
Besides primates, the forest is home to over 360 bird species, some found only in the Albertine Rift region. Species include the yellow-footed flycatcher, Puvel’s illadopsis, white-thighed hornbill, and chocolate-backed kingfisher.
The best time for bird watching is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Visitors walk along forest trails that lead to the best bird viewing spots.
Other Wildlife in the Forest
Sometimes, large animals like elephants, lions, and leopards pass through the forest, although they do not live there permanently.
Research and Conservation
Kaniyo Pabidi Forest is also a site for scientific research, managed by the Jane Goodall Institute. Research and conservation of chimpanzees have taken place here since the 1990s. Because the chimpanzees are well habituated, tourists can see them more easily.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit the forest is during the dry season, from December to February and from June to September. During these months, the forest trails are dry, making trekking, bird watching, and nature walks more comfortable.
Getting to Kaniyo Pabidi Forest
Tourists can reach Kaniyo Pabidi Forest by road from Kampala to Murchison Falls National Park. The distance is about 220 kilometers, and the journey takes 4 to 5 hours. The main entrance is Kichumbanyobo Gate, but visitors can also use Bugungu Gate in the south or Tangi and Wankar Gates in the north of the park.
Book a visit to Kaniyo Pabidi Forest to combine chimpanzee trekking, birding, and nature walks in one stop on your Murchison Falls safari.
