Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
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Summary
- Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are present in Kyambura Wildlife Reserve.
- It has been estimated that approximately 55 chimpanzees inhabit the site.
- The chimpanzee population trend is unknown.
Site characteristics
Kyambura Wildlife Reserve (KWR), which encompasses the Kyambura Gorge, is situated south of Lake George and to the east of Queen Elizabeth National Park, near where the Kazinga Channel flows out of the lake towards Lake Albert (Zwick et al. 1997). The natural barriers created by the Kazinga Channel and the Kyambura Gorge serve to separate KWR from Queen Elizabeth National Park. However, both the park and the reserve are jointly managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority as part of the Queen Elizabeth Protected Area (UWA 2012).
KWR was first designated as a Controlled Hunting Area in 1962 and later upgraded to a Game Reserve in 1965 (UWA 2023). It was used for licensed hunting and cropping, but due to civil unrest during the 1970s and 1980s, uncontrolled hunting significantly increased, leading to the decline of many large mammal species (Zwick et al. 1997). Following the Uganda Wildlife Statute of 1996, which reclassified all game reserves as wildlife reserves, the area officially became Kyambura Wildlife Reserve, and hunting concessions were terminated in 1999 due to illegal hunting activities (UWA 2012).
The terrain of KWR is marked by small hills, ranging from 700 to 1,100 meters in altitude. The reserve features approximately seven volcanic craters with both saline and fresh water bodies (Zwick et al. 1997). The Kyambura Gorge, formed through faulting, cuts through the savannah landscape, with the Kyambura River running along the gorge. The vegetation includes a riverine forest dominated by Cynometra sp. and Ficus sp. (Kruger et al., 1998), which transitions into swamp forest and papyrus swamp near the mouth of the Kyambura River. The eastern boundary of KWR follows the Buhindagi River, which connects Lake George to the Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve (Zwick et al. 1997), forming an essential migratory corridor known as the Kyambura Gorge-Kasyoha Kitomi corridor. To the north, the reserve is bordered by savannah grasslands (UWA 2012). KWR's ecosystem is similar to that of Queen Elizabeth National Park, hosting comparable wildlife, including mammals such as hippopotamuses, lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, various antelopes, and smaller ungulates (UWA 2023). KWR is a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA 2025). Zwick et al. (1997) reported a total of 332 bird species in the reserve. Kyambura Gorge is renowned for its high concentration of primates, including chimpanzees. The chimpanzee population in the gorge is said to consist of a single community of fewer than 30 individuals (UWA 2012). This community has become isolated due to the clearing of corridors that once connected it to larger forests such as Kalinzu and Maramagambo, raising concerns about potential inbreeding and genetic mutations.
Table 1. Basic site information for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Species | 'Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii |
| Area | 157 km² |
| Coordinates | Lat: -0.11037 , Lon: 30.18194 |
| Type of site | Protected area (Wildlife Reserve) |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical swamp forest, Savanna, Grassland, Wetlands (lakes, rivers, streams, bogs, marshes) |
| Type of governance | Governance by government |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Species | Year | Occurrence | Encounter or vistation rate (nests/km; ind/day) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Survey area | Sampling method | Analytical framework | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii | 1992.0 | 55.05 (30-70) | Kyambura Wildlife Reserve | Reconnaissance walk | Distance sampling (decay time unknown) | Plumptre, Cox & Mugume 2003, Allan 1994 | Survey classified site as a low density site hence density estimates were not possible. Only 50 nest building chimpanzees were estimated by the study. |
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.1.2 Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | Poaching for commercial and subsistence use, using firearms (including automatic weapons such as the AK47), wire snares, nets and various types of foot traps (UWA 2012). High intensity registered between 1970s -1980 due to civil unrest (Zwick et al. 1997). Risk of chimpanzees being ensnared or trapped by traps made for other animals. | 1970-Ongoing (2012) |
| 4 Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | The growing road network and power line, cutting through the Kyambura gorge corridor and its escarpment banks that links Kyambura and Kasyoha-Kitomi, make deep intrusions into the underground riparian forest that is a home to chimpanzees. | 1997-Ongoing |
| 7 Natural system modifications | 7.2 Dams & water management/use | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | The hydropower project was proposed for development in 2011 (UWA 2012), constructed in 2017, and made operational in 2019. | 2017-Ongoing (2019) |
| 6 Human intrusions & disturbance | 6.2 War, civil unrest & military exercises | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | Civil unrest between 1970s and early 1980s. | 1970-1980 |
| 7 Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | The fires are mostly started by poachers who use fires as a means of hunting. Other sources of fires include cigarettes that were not extinguished and fires originating from community farmland or intentionally set by the community members (UWA 2012). | Ongoing (2012) |
| 2 Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1.2 Small-holder farming | Present (unknown severity) | Intensive cultivation along the Kyambura River restricting favorable habitats for chimpanzees (WCS 2008). | 1990-Ongoing (2008) |
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Present (unknown severity) | Logging and harvesting of wood has reduced abundance of fig trees which are critical to survival of primates in such savanna habitats (WSC, 2008) | Ongoing (2008) |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Implementing organization(s) | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Counter-wildlife crime | 2.13 Provide sustainable alternative livelihoods; establish fish- or domestic meat farms | Diversifying local livelihoods and improving smart crop and husbandry under the Kyambura Gorge Eco-tourism Project. | Volcanoes Safaris and Volcanoes Safaris Partnership, Jane Goodall Institute, Uganda Trust | 2009-Ongoing |
| 4 Education & awareness | 4.1 Educate local communities about apes and sustainable use | Expanding community outreach programs through the Jane Goodall Institute Roots & Shoots program and the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Community Centre, teaching them of the benefits of tourism and the natural value of the wildlife diversity in the area. | Volcano Safaris and Volcano Safaris Partnership, Jane Goodall Institute, Uganda Trust | 2021-Ongoing |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.9 Resettle illegal human communities (i.e., in a protected area) to another location | A group of subsistence farmers from around reserve and from southern Uganda annexed land in the southeastern part of the reserve. These encroachers evicted in 1992. | 1992.0 | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.4 Create natural habitat patches (including corridors) | Volcano Safaris in Kyambura are buying land from communities in the corridor that links Kyambura Gorge to Kasyoha Kitomi Forest Reserve. | Volcanoes Safaris, Uganda Wildlife Authority | 2012-Ongoing |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.6 Habitat restoration (e.g., tree planting) | Planting of over 6000 trees as a way of recovering the vegetation, in corridors such as Kyambura Gorge-Kasyoha Kitomi corridor. | Volcanoes Safaris, Uganda Wildlife Authority | 2012-Ongoing |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.1 Create buffer zones around protected ape habitat | The southeastern part of the reserve is protected as a wilderness zone, receiving minimal disturbance. | Uganda Wildlife Authority | 2012-Ongoing (2024) |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.2 Legally protect ape habitat | The are was gazetted as a wildlife reserve in 1966. | BirdLife International | 1996-Ongoing (2024) |
| 8 Permanent presence | 8.2 Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site | UWA establised the Kyambura base camp. | Uganda Wildlife Authority | 1997-Ongoing (2024) |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Challenges | Specific challenges | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.2 Lack of staff | UWA 2012 | Ongoing (2011) |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.7 Lack of infrastructure | UWA 2012 | Ongoing (2011) |
| 5 Ecological context | 5.1 Ecological constraints (e.g., susceptibility to climate change, difficult terrain) | UWA 2012 | Ongoing (2011) |
Enablers
Table 6. Enablers reported for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Enablers | Specific enablers | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.1 Sufficient staff | UWA 2012 | Ongoing (2011) |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.6 External partnerships that add expertise or resources | UWA 2012 | Ongoing (2011) |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 7. Behaviours documented for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Exposure to climate change impacts
External links
Relevant datasets
References
Allan, C. 1994. Kyambura Game Reserve, Uganda. Preliminary results of Frontier Uganda Biological Assessment. Frontier, The Society for Environmental Exploration report.
Krüger, O., Affeldt, E., Brackmann, M., & Milhahn, K. (1998). Group size and composition of Colobus guereza in Kyambura Gorge, southwest Uganda, in relation to chimpanzee activity. International Journal of Primatology, 19, 287-297.
UWA. (2012). Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Kigezi Wildlife Reserve. General Management Plan (2011 - 2021). Kampala, Uganda
Zwick, K.L (Ed.), Stubblefield, L., Allan, C., Sivell, D., Lloyd, J., and Cunneyworth, P. (1997). Methods Manual. Frontier Protected Areas Project Baseline Surveys Programme. The Society for Environmental Exploration, London & Uganda WiKampala.
Plumptre, A.J., Cox, D. and Mugume, S. (2003) The Status of Chimpanzees in Uganda. Albertine Rift Technical Report Series No. 2. Wildlife Conservation Society, New York.
Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership (2025) Key Biodiversity Areas factsheet: Kyambura Wildlife Reserve. Extracted from the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. Developed by the Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership: BirdLife International, IUCN, American Bird Conservancy, Amphibian Survival Alliance, Conservation International, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Global Environment Facility, Re:wild, NatureServe, Rainforest Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation Society. Downloaded from https://keybiodiversityareas.org/ on Mar 10, 2025.
Page created by: Steven Joel Basiibye Date: 2024-11-20