Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park

Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park, The Budongo Forest Reserve is part of the Murchison Falls National Park and is in the Masindi District of Uganda. It covers an area of about 826 square kilometers and is Uganda’s biggest native forest. It’s made up of half pristine forests. There are three main tourist spots in the forest: Kaniyo Pabidi, Busingiro, and Sonso. During World War II, this huge forest was a safe place for Polish refugees.

A Catholic church is the only thing that reminds them of their short time in this faraway place. To get to Lake Albert, four rivers cut through the trees. Some of them are Sonso, Kamirambwa, Waisoke, and Kamirambwa. A lot of people know Budongo forest for its chimps and mahogany trees.

Mahogany trees can grow up to 85 meters long and 21 meters wide. There are 464 other types of trees besides mahogany trees, as well as 24 animal species, 300 butterfly species, and 9 types of monkeys. Hikes through nature are the next most popular thing to do here, after chimp climbing. About 600 chimps live in this huge forest. A small village is used to tourists and has made its doors open to them. A 114-kilometer path through the bush lets people see chimps, other primates, and birds.

The Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park is home to these primates.

Aside from apes, there are also blue monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and olive baboons. Budongo Forest is part of the bigger conservation area that surrounds Murchison Falls National Park. This means that big animals like buffalo, lions, and leopards may pass through on their way back to the plains.

Different kinds of birds can be found in Murchison Falls National Park’s Budongo Forest.

Budongo Forest Reserve is a great place to watch birds. There are more than 355 species that live here, such as the African Emerald Cuckoo, the African Pied, the African Shrike Flycatcher, the Black and White Casqued Hornbills, the Black-headed Paradise Flycatcher, the Blue-throated Roller, the Brown Twin spot, the Cameroon Sombre Greenbul, the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, the Crowned Eagle, the Dusky long-tailed Cuckoo, and many more.

What the weather is like in Murchison Falls National Park’s Budongo Forest.

There are two seasons in Budongo woodland: wet and dry. From March to May and September to November, it rains a lot. From December to February is the main dry season.

Chimpanzees have lived in Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park for a long time.
More than 98% of our DNA is shared with chimpanzees, making them our closest relatives. They are very smart animals that eat many different kinds of food, like veggies and fruits. If they can, chimpanzees eat meat all the time. When they are fully grown, male chimps can weigh up to 70 kg, and females can weigh up to 50 kg.

Chimpanzees can live up to 60 years if they are kept as pets. When they hit puberty, female chimps often leave the group where they were born, but not males. Chimpanzees are very flexible and can quickly learn how to use new tools, just like people. Because of this, chimpanzee populations behave differently based on where they live.

One of the few places in Uganda where you can still find chimpanzees is in Budongo forest, which is in Murchison Falls National Park. First person to study chimps in Budongo was Vernon Reynolds. Along with Adriaan Kortlandt and Jane Goodall, he was one of the first primatologists to do important study with chimps in their natural environment.

Between 1972 and 1986, when Vermon left Uganda, there was a lot of political unrest and civil war. He went back in 1990 and saw that uncontrolled shooting had greatly reduced the number of chimps living there. He learned that after their moms were killed, young chimpanzees were often sold to collectors outside of Africa. By 1995, there were only 55 chimpanzees left in the forest, showing that the number had dropped.

Researchers began their work in the woods with money from the Edinburgh Zoo, RZSS, and other places. The Budongo Forest Project was started by the researchers. It was later changed to the Budongo Conservation Field Station (BCFS). BCFS protects and studies forests while also making sure they are managed for the long run.

It was hard for BCFS to get work done once it started. Budongo woodland, like many other Ugandan forest areas, had been broken into by the people who lived nearby. In the edges of forests that were used for farming, poachers set snares to catch forest antelopes and small mice. Hunters left behind snares that hurt the hands and legs of several chimps. The number of Mahagony trees, which are famous places for chimps to hide, has dropped significantly because people have been cutting them down for wood.

To deal with some of the issues mentioned above, the team started a number of tasks, such as keeping an eye on the chimps’ health and behavior every day. The project has also helped over 300 chimps get used to their new home and worked with people who live near the forest to stop them from putting harmful snares in the forest. The idea promises that the money made from ecotourism will be given to the people who live in the area.

To stop hunters from poaching wild animals for food, they are given goats as an alternative way to make money and live. These former thieves help the BCFS team figure out where to set their last traps on their own time. Because of the project’s hard work, the total number of chimps has grown by a lot. Taking chimps as pets has mostly stopped.

Trekking with chimpanzees in Budongo Forest

As we’ve already talked a lot about, chimpanzee trekking is the main thing that brings people to the bush. One of the best places in Uganda to see chimpanzees is in Budongo forest, which is in Murchison Falls National Park. Most of the tracking takes place in Kaniyo Pabidi, which is south of Murchison Falls National Park. Before going chimpanzee hunting in Budongo, people usually get information from the information center at the Budongo Eco Lodge.

The forest has well-marked paths that people can follow to see the chimps and other animals and birds. There are two times for chimpanzee treks: morning and afternoon. Chimpanzees gather around the Budongo Eco Lodge most days of the year. During certain times of the year, though, they will go out in search of food and drink.

When food is scarce, it’s not always easy to find food. Still, you have a good chance of seeing chimps—only Kibale Forest National Park gives you a better chance. The best times to see the chimps are between October and January.

It usually takes about three hours to go on a Budongo chimpanzee walk. People can only spend an hour with the chimps after they find them. People who want to go monkey trekking must be in good health and not have any diseases like the flu or tuberculosis. It is possible for chimpanzees to get human diseases. Also, you have to be at least 15 years old to track chimps. The price of a chimpanzee pass in Budongo has gone up to $130 since Amos Wekesa took over as manager.

Experience Living with Chimpanzees in Budongo Forest National Park.

A chimpanzee gets used to having people around them through a process called chimpanzee habituation. The whole process takes about two years. For those who visit Budongo Park, there is also the chance to help the chimpanzees get used to people, especially when there aren’t many people there.

Part of the Chimpanzee habituation experience is following a group of chimpanzees and learning about how they act while being watched by experienced researchers and hunters. The main difference from normal chimpanzee hiking is that it happens during the day.

People can spend a lot more time with the monkeys. For the best chimp habituation experience, you need good climbing boots, hand gloves, long-sleeved shirts or pants, sunglasses, and a hat. It takes $230 to get used to being around chimpanzees in the Budongo forest. This is less than what Kibale National Park costs.

Watching birds in Budongo Forest

One of the best places in Uganda to see birds is in Budongo forest, which is in Murchison Falls National Park. With the help of trained guides, birdwatchers can spend a full or half day watching birds. Perhaps the best place to see most of the species in one day is the Royal Mile in the Busingiro area.

From the main study station to a nearby forestry college, the Royal Mile goes. Some strange species to keep an eye out for are the Guinea Congo Forest-Biome, Pitta reichenowi, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, Illadopsis puveli, and Parmoptila woodhouse. By evening, you should have seen at least half of the 360 species that live in the woods area.

Walks through Budongo Forest

With armed guards, tourists can go on nature hikes deep in the forest. You should definitely go to the beautiful Kaniyo Pabidi eco-tourism Center. There are huge Mahagony trees at the Center that are more than 70 years old.

There are many kinds of wild animals that come to the nature walks to lick the salt off of dead trees. When you’re done with the forest, you can check out the savanna grasslands and trees that connect to Murchison Falls National Park’s plains.

Buffalo, elephants, lions, and even leopards are some of the bigger animals that can be seen here. In fact, these huge animals live in the forest. Rangers with guns will always be with you to keep you safe. Remember to bring water and a lunch box.

Places to stay in Budongo Forest

Visitors to the Budongo Forest can choose from a number of places to stay. One’s budget determines the final choice of where to stay. There are lodges and hotels in the forest reserve, in Masindi town, and further out in Murchison Falls National Park. People who like to camp outside can set up camps inside the area. The Budongo Forest Research Centre also has simple rooms available at fair prices:

Green Lodge at Budongo
The Budongo Eco Lodge is a cheap lodge in the Budongo forest area. It’s 30 kilometers from the town of Masindi to the lodge, which is in a quiet and peaceful area. Budongo Eco Lodge has both private rooms with balconies and dorms for people to stay in. The dorm rooms are very big, so they’re good for big groups of tourists. At the lodge’s diner, guests can order both local and international food.

You can do things like chimpanzee trekking, birdwatching, chimp habituation experience, and nature walks while you’re at the lodge. People who want to experience life in the area can go to the Visitor Center and buy art and gifts made in the area.

When is the best time to go to Budongo Forest?

You can visit Budongo Forest at any time of the year, but the best time is during the dry season, which runs from June to September and from December to February. The dry season in Budongo Forest is great for hiking because the paths are dry and easy to use. It’s also a great place to watch animals because the trees aren’t too tall and the roads that lead to the park are clear.

But the wet season, which lasts from March to May and October to November, is also a great time to visit Budondo Forest. This is because there will be plenty of food for the chimps because of the rain, so you will be able to see them near the eco-lodge.

This is in contrast to the dry season, when there isn’t enough food and the chimpanzees have to go deeper into the forest to find it, which makes trekking harder and more tiring. During the rainy season, you can also see a lot of birds because there will be lots of fruits for them to eat. You may also see species migrating, which will make your trip more fun.

The best way to get to Budongo Forest
In the north of Uganda, you can find the Budongo forest in Murchison Falls National Park. The trip from Kampala to the park takes three hours. From Kampala, go through the town of Masindi on your way to the forest area. Each person must pay $45 to enter the Budongo Forest Reserve.