The drive from Kampala to Masindi takes about three hours. There are two possible routes into the park from Masindi. The more direct route passes through the thin Kaniyo Pabidi Forest Corridor which joins the Budongo Forest (180 square miles) to the much smaller Pabidi Forest (25 square miles). Budongo has one of the longest recorded logging histories anywhere in the world and thus makes an excellent location for studying forest regeneration in the wake of selective logging and its impact on wildlife. It is possible to stop in the Forest Reserve on either road; walks are led by trained guides who give a fascinating insight into the ecology of the forests.
The birdlife is extremely rich, and particularly rare forest species include the blue-throated roller, dwarf kingfisher, velvet-mantled drongo and gray-chinned sunbird. During the two-and -a-half hour walk in the reserve it is usual to see 50-60 different bird species. In total, there are 332 different species documented so far. The “Royal Mile” or “Kabalega Drive” is cited as the best bird watching site in Uganda.
The main attraction of the walks is the prospect of viewing habituated chimpanzees (the walks are restricted to six per group). There are estimated to be between 400-800 chimps in the Reserve.The habituation work on chimpanzees is difficult in the forest because the troops move over extensive areas, generally looking for seasonal fruiting trees. They are ceaseless foragers, usually only gathering in large groups to share a large find of food such as a fruiting fig tree. Chimps habitually prepare nests for themselves every evening, weaving a simple mesh of branchlets into the fork of the higher branches of a tree in which they might have been feeding.
Apart from noise, the prime means of tracking the nests are useful signs of recent presence. The sounds of other primates constantly echo around the forest. Black and white colobus, the only true leaf eating monkey genus, leap and chatter in the tall forest canopy. The distinctive low frequency boom of the male blue monkey is a very peculiar sound to the forest. Signs of elephant, buffalo and bushbuck are frequent along the pathways, and though present in good numbers, forest duikers are a rare sighting.
Snakes are relatively common in the forest but are usually picked out only with a trained eye. They are very shy and quite territorial, but the guides are familiar with their regular resting spots. Butterflies and moths constantly flutters across the path and some particularly members of the Charaxes genus are ery rare. There are 42 species of butterfly which have been identified in the forest, including the Africa giant swallowtail, which is the largest butterfly found in Africa.
There are ongoing field studies in all aspects of the forest ecology and the field assistants are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The facilities for an overnight stay are basic, but as a stopover to or from the part it is definitely worthwhile.
The main road to the Wairingo Gate is also that boundary between the Karuma Game Reserve to the east and the Bungung Game Reserve to the west. The woodland kingfisher and red-throated bee-eater constantly catch the eye along this stretch of road as they flash from tree to tree. Omnipresent troops of recalcitrant baboons litter the road ahead and then sidle into the bush the vehicle gets to close. The baboons here are still shy, as they have not yet spoilt by a pandering public.
There are at least 30 separate sub-species of baboon in Africa, although the Ankole olive baboon is the only one found here. Normally baboons spend most of the day on the ground feeding, moving to a high vantage to sleep at night. They keep together in large troops with several dominant males each having a harem of its own.
As the road descends off the Rift Valley escarpment towards the Wairingo Gate there is a noticeable change of vegetation from woodland to grassland.
The woodland is noticeable as it is dominate by one species, Lonchocarpus laxiflorus. Before L. Laxiforus became pervasive, the area was a Teminalia woodland. Heavy elephant damage and uncontrolled fires led to the disappearance of the Terminalia and the colonization by the fire resistant L. laxiflorus
The drive from the gate to Paraa betrays few animals. The particularly interesting sections are the crossing of the Wairingo, Joliya and Sambiya rivers. The woodlands along the rivers are good spots for viewing birds and the occasional buffalo. The junction with the “Top of the falls” roads is a very prominent ridge, and there are often lions lazing in the grass. Looking southwards from this ridge, the southern boundary of the park can be picked out more or less in line with the two visible hills; Rabongo (1,292 metres) to the left and Igisi (1,260 metres) to the right.
The Rabongo Forest is nestled between these two hills. It is not actually one forest, but in fact a chain of eight relic forest patches, which total an area of about one square mile. The headwaters of the Wairingo River pass through the middle of the forest. As with other areas of the Park, the primary cause for the destruction of what once must have been a much larger forest area has been the presence of too many elephants.
The Rabongo Forest still has a rich diversity of mammals and birds, and is one of the most important biomes in the park. The streams in the forest support a variety of birds, including the rare Africa finfoot and shining-blue kingfisher. There is a project underway to habituate some of the chimpanzees in the forest, which should be completed by late 1996. The park also has plans to re-open the old “road-camp” and convert it into a small tourist facility and interpretation center. In the meantime it is possible to camp at the site.