Kibale National Park

East Africa > Uganda > Kibale National Park

Summary

• Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are present in Kibale National Park.
• The population size is unknown.
• The chimpanzee population trend is unknown.
• The site has a total size of 795 km².
• Hunting and snare injuries are a key threat to chimpanzees.
• Conservation activities have focused on veterinary intervention and snare removal.

Site characteristics

Kibale National Park is situated in southwestern Uganda. The park is contiguous with Queen Elizabeth National Park in the south. Established in 1993, Kibale National Park is famously known for the long-term research of chimpanzee communities inhabiting the area (see Kanyawara and Ngogo sites). In addition to the eastern chimpanzee, the park is home to other species of global conservation concern, including the forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), western red colobus (Procolobus badius), and L'Hoest's monkey (Cercopithecus l’hoesti) (BirdLife International 2020). With at least 339 bird species, the site is an Important Bird Area (BirdLife International 2020).

Table 1. Basic site information for Kibale National Park

Area	795 km²
Coordinates	0.487463 N, 30.390052 E
Designation	National Park
Habitat types

IUCN habitat categories Site designations

Ape status

Table 2. Ape population estimates in Kibale National Park

Species	Year	Abundance estimate (95% CI)	Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI)	Encounter rate (nests/km)	Area	Method	Source	Comments	A.P.E.S. database ID
Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii

Threats

Table 3. Threats to apes in Kibale National Park

Category	Specific threats	Threat level	Quantified severity	Description	Year of threat
1. Residential & commercial development		Unknown
2. Agriculture & aquaculture		Unknown
3. Energy production & mining		Unknown
4. Transportation & service corridors		Unknown
5. Biological resource use	5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	High	Between 1997 and 2000, 2,290 snares were removed in Kibale; based on the estimated snare density per sq. km,15,000 snares could be present at any given time (Wrangham & Mugume 2000).	Although snares are set up to mainly target small duikers and bushpigs, chimpanzees are at risk of falling victim to the snares and get severely maimed or killed (Dudley 2020).	Ongoing (2020)
6. Human intrusion & disturbance		Unknown
7. Natural system modifications		Unknown
8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases		Unknown
9. Pollution		Unknown
10. Geological Events		Absent
11. Climate change & severe weather		Unknown
12. Other options		Unknown

IUCN Threats list

Conservation activities

The park is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Table 4. Conservation activities in Kibale National Park

Category	Specific activity	Description	Year of activity
1. Residential & commercial development	Not reported
2. Agriculture & aquaculture	Not reported
3. Energy production & mining	Not reported
4. Transportation & service corridors	Not reported
5. Biological resource use	5.9. Regularly de-activate/remove ground snares	The Kibale Snare Removal Program (KSRP) was established in 1997 to reduce snaring in the park and involve the local community (Dudley 2020).	Ongoing (2020)
6. Human intrusion & disturbance	Not reported
7. Natural system modifications	Not reported
8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases	Not reported
9. Pollution	Not reported
10. Education & Awareness	Not reported
11. Habitat Protection	Not reported
12. Species Management	12.24. Rehabilitate injured/orphaned primates	Veterinary intervention when chimpanzees are injured by snares (Kibale Chimpanzee Project).
13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives	Not reported

Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)

Challenges

Table 5. Challenges reported for Kibale National Park

Challenge	Source
Not reported

Research activities

Kibale is an important site for research. Long-term projects based on the site include the Kibale Chimpanzee Project and the Kibale EcoHealth Project.
Changing perceptions of protected area benefits and problems around Kibale National Park, Uganda
Restoration Provides Hope for Faunal Recovery: Changes in Primate Abundance Over 45 Years in Kibale National Park, Uganda
Long‐term trends in fruit production in a tropical forest at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda
Recovery of tree and mammal communities during large‐scale forest regeneration in Kibale National Park, Uganda

Documented behaviours

Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Kibale National Park

Behavior	Source
Not reported

External links

Kibale Chimpanzee Project

Relevant datasets

A.P.E.S Portal

References

BirdLife International (2020). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Kibale National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/10/2020.
Dudley, A. (2020). In Uganda, safeguarding chimpanzees against the scourge of snaring. Retrieved 21 October 2020 from Mongabay.com. Web site: https://news.mongabay.com/2020/10/in-uganda-safeguarding-chimpanzees-against-the-scourge-of-snaring/?fbclid=IwAR0qzwA0DmheeoKtcX4ZYdyNTJOGBJX7yf0gPTTri5XdDGjIL0dSFXzW3J0#
Wrangham, R., & Mugume, S. (2000). Snare Removal Program in Kibale National Park: a Preliminary Report. Pan Africa News, 7(2), 18-20.
Kibale Chimpanzee Project (n.d.). Veterinary Intervention. https://kibalechimpanzees.wordpress.com/veterinary-intervention/

Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 05/12/2020