Bigodi wetland sanctuary
Bigodi wetland sanctuary is a small sanctuary lying on the outskirts of Kibale forest national park in Kabarole district. Bigodi sanctuary is home to over 138 bird species and a few primates of Kibale forest national park. Bigodi wetland sanctuary is a perfect place to visit to make your safari complete after the chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park.
The name Bigodi was derived from a Rutoro word “Kugodya” which means “to walk tiredly”. It is said that whenever visitors visited Bigodi wetland sanctuary they would get tired and for this reason, they could rest there before visiting Kibale forest national park.
Bigodi wetland sanctuary is located 6 kilometers away from Kanyanchu information center. The swamp is 4 sq. km harboring several bird species, mammals, and primates. Bigodi wetland sanctuary is managed and controlled by a local community organization called Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development since 1992. The project was started to support eco-tourism enterprises to allow locals to benefit from tourism.
There are so many benefits that KAFRED has gotten after the conservation of Bigodi wetland sanctuary. The project has been able to raise money that has helped in building nursery, primary, and secondary schools hence improving education levels in the area. Women have been able to set up a group where they do handmade crafts.
There has been a bridge constructed in Bigodi to easy travel between the forest area and villages.
Tourists that are visiting the area have been able to sponsor a few students through their education process. Hospitals and healthy facilities have been built to improve the health of local people. Lastly, locals have been employed in different areas and they use salaries to improve their lives.
Activities to do in Bigodi wetland sanctuary
There are several activities that tourists visiting Kibale forest national park can participate in Bigodi wetland sanctuary while on a safari in the park. These activities include bird watching in Bigodi wetland nature walks, wildlife viewing, and community walks among others as we are going to look at below.
Bird watching in Bigodi Wetland
Bird watching is the main activity done in Bigodi wetland sanctuary as the area harbors over 138 bird species. The swamp is a perfect spot for bird watching whole in Kibale forest national park. Bird watching here is normally done in the afternoon hours after chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation.
Bird species found in Bigodi wetland sanctuary include yellow-rumped tinkerbird, purple-breasted sunbird, yellow-spotted nicator, little greenbul, Abyssinian ground thrush, grey crowned crane, African pitta, crowned eagle, brown-chested alethe, dusky crimson wing, blue-breasted kingfisher, brown-collared greenbul, papyrus gonolek, black and white shrike flycatcher, western nicator, superb sunbird, bocage’s bush shrike, black bishop, and white-breasted negrofinch among others.
Wildlife viewing in Bigodi wetland
wildlife viewing in Bigodi wetland offers great sights so many bird species but also primates and mammals. Wildlife viewing in Bigodi sanctuary is done using different trails within the forest under the protection of armed ranger guides. Wildlife viewing is either done in the morning or evening and tourists are briefed about the rules and regulations of the activity before starting.
During the wildlife viewing in Bigodi wetland, tourists do get opportunities of seeing different wildlife species such as red colobus monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, grey checked mangabeys, l’hoest’s monkeys, vervet monkeys, otters, bush pigs, mongoose, sitatungas, civet cats, and bushbucks among others.
Community tours in Bigodi wetland
Tourists that love to explore the African culture while in Kibale forest national park can always have community walks in areas around Bigodi sanctuary. Community visits around Bigodi wetland take you to the communities of Batooro and Bakiga where you get to interact with different locals in their home areas.
A visit to any of the communities is led by locals who take you to different homes where you meet people and get to interact with them. You can visit the Bigodi Women’s Group which makes different art and crafts like bags, mats, and baskets. During the community visits, tourists can visit community projects such as schools, hospitals, churches, and schools where they can donate some things to help in expanding these projects.
Nature walks in Bigodi wetland sanctuary
This is an activity organized for those tourists that want to explore Bigodi wetland on foot. Tourists on a nature walk activity in Bigodi wetland sanctuary walk through different trails with well-trained armed ranger guides who take them to the best areas of the swamp. During the nature walks, tourists are able to spot different wildlife species and vegetation types.
The nature walks in Bigodi wetland enable tourists to know about the different information on the swamp, the number of different species that live here and you do get an opportunity to come across them while walking. Nature walks in Bigodi wetland sanctuary take place in the morning and evening hours after major activities like chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation.
Where to stay in Bigodi wetland
On your visit to Bigodi wetland sanctuary, there are a number of accommodation facilities where tourists can stay. The accommodation facilities range from budget to mid-range to luxury options with where to stay depending on a traveler’s budget. These lodges are of different prices and offer different services.
Accommodations to use while in Bigodi wetland sanctuary include Crater Safari Lodge, Primate lodge, Ndali lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Green Home Cottages, Rwetera Safari Park, Chimpanzee Forest Guest House, Kibale Safari Lodge, Chimpundu Lodge, Turaco Treetops, Kibale Forest Camp and many others around Kibale forest national park.