Kalinzu Forest

The Kalinzu rainforest, also known as the Kalinzu jungle is a wet broadleaf tropical rainforest in the western region of Uganda in the district of Bushenyi. Is one of the best thick canopy forests in Uganda for chimpanzee tracking. Kalinzu forest covers an area of 137 square kilometres of various tree species. The forest is on an altitude range of 1000 – 1300 meters above sea level and located 81kms from Queen Elizabeth national park and 44kms from Kyambura gorge.

Kalinzu forest

HUMAN ACTIVITY

There is no factual archaeological evidence that shows any human inhabitation in the Kalinzu rainforest. However, local people leaving in the communities around and close to the forest, have claimed they used to hunt and wild plant gathering as patterns of excursions that were a routine of their expeditions. Subsequent induced alterations by the Uganda wildlife authority through the ministry of tourism under the directive of the government, had this forest gazetted.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Unparalleled biodiversity of 400 species of trees occurs in this fairly small Kalinzu rainforest. A composition of 378 bird species, 262 butterflies and 97 moth species. One in ten known species in the world lives in the Kalinzu rainforest the chimpanzee. This constitutes a substantial collection of living plants and animal species in Africa.

Animals such as the pygmy antelope, 28 amphibians, and 34 reptiles have been scientifically classified in the forest. Other animals that occur include leopards, forest buffaloes, and elephants. Primates such as Blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, the rare L’Hoest Monkeys, olive baboons, and black and white colobus monkeys. Nocturnal primates like the pottos, bushbabies, and two species of galagos.