Budongo Central Forest Reserve

Budongo Central Forest Reserve is the largest survival natural forest in Uganda, with a total surface of approximately 825 square km, of which 430 square km is continuous forest. The reserve sits atop the Albertine Rift, part of the Great Rift Valley, and is located within the boundaries of Murchison Falls National Park.

Budongo Forest Reserve is a medium altitude, moist, semi-deciduous tropical rainforest managed by the National Forestry Authority (NFA). Historically, the forest was protected by the King of Bunyoro and only with his permission could local chiefs hunt inside the forest. Thanks to his strict policy the flora and fauna was preserved, until the reserve was officially gazetted in 1932. The name Budongo derives from the local Bunyoro word ‘fertile soil’.

Eco-tourism System

Budongo offers an extremely rich biodiversity including 24 species of small mammals, 9 species of primates and 280 butterflies. It is also the natural habitat of more than 600 chimpanzees, of which a small community has been habituated for eco-tourism purposes. This family consists of 80 individuals, allowing visitors the unique opportunity to view these amazing apes in their natural environment. Other primates that can be observed are the Black-and-White Colobus Monkeys, Olive Baboons, Red-tailed Monkeys, Blue Monkeys and Grey-cheeked Mangabeys.

A well developed and extensive trail system with a length of 115 km in total is found througout the forest, which enables tourist activities like forest walks, chimp tracking and birding. Apart from the 465 species of plants, the reserve is also famous for the age-old, Mahogany trees which can grow up to 80 meters. Some of the best bird viewing is found in the area known as the Royal Mile, which is part of Budongo Forest Reserve. About 360 species of birds are recorded in the total area, including the rare Puval’s Illadopses which is endemic to the region. Others include the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Chestnut Crowned Eremomera, Dusky long-tailed Cuckoo, Yellow-browned Camaroptera, Black-headed Paradise Flycatcher, Slender-billed Greenbul, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Forest Robin, White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow and Grey Longbill, Little Green Sunbird, Western Black-headed Oriole, African Emerald Cuckoo, Yellow-manted Weaver, Crested Malimbe and Cassin’s Hawk Eagle among others.

Setting & Conservation

The area, situated between 1° 37 N - 2° 03 N and 31° 22 - 31° 46 E, is 435 km² in extent and is composed mainly of moist, medium-altitude, semi-deciduous forest, with patches of savanna and woodland. It covers a gently rolling landscape, sloping down to the East African Rift. Four streams, Waisoke, Sonso, Kamirambwa and Siba, drain the forest and flow into Lake Albert. Annual rainfall in the area is between 1200 and 2200 mm, the rainy season being from March - May and again from September - November, the dry season being December - February.

The nearest town is Masindi, and much of the land around the forest is given over to crops, dwellings and villages, placing continuous pressure on the forest margins, and leading to exploitation for building materials and bushmeat, the snares set by poachers causing mutilation of the chimpanzees and other animals. The mahogany trees that still remain are cut and removed by itinerant pit sawyers.

Wildlife Research

Vernon Reynolds first studied chimpanzees in this forest in 1962 and he eventually founded the Budongo Conservation Field Station . He wrote a book about the forest and its chimpanzees in 1965. Reynolds was one of a trio of pioneer field researchers - the others being Jane Goodall and Adriaan Kortlandt. During the 1970s and 1980s civil war raged in the country, with an accompanying breakdown of law and order. Chimpanzee mothers were shot and the infants taken from the forest and smuggled to collectors in Asia, Europe and America. Reynolds returned to Uganda in 1990 to determine whether a viable population of chimpanzees still existed in Budongo. By 1995 some fifty individuals had been identified, and this figure remained constant until 2000 when the numbers started rising, thought to be due to an influx of chimpanzees from other areas.

The research team renovated and occupied buildings that had been constructed for the Budongo Sawmills Ltd. In 2005 funding for the project was provided by the RZSS at Edinburgh Zoo, as well as a number of other sources. The Budongo Forest Project became a Ugandan NGO and was renamed the Budongo Conservation Field Station.

Facts About The Reserve

Best time to travel: All year round. Thanks to the location on the equator, Uganda has a tropical climate. Rainfall occurs regularly, with a peak in the months of April-May and November. 825 km2 (319 sq mi) 01°43′27″N 31°32′45″E

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