Rubondo Island National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is the author of the Bradt guidebook to Tanzania.

The main attraction in Rubondo Island National Park is its population of semi-habituated chimpanzees. The island also supports breeding populations of giraffe and elephant. Your guide will take you out by car or boat to find these animals, but you won’t even need to make a special excursion to see bushbuck, which are abundant all over the island, as well as the marsh-loving sitatunga.

GorillaNone

ChimpanzeeOccasional

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionNone

LeopardNone

CheetahNone

HippoAbundant

BuffaloNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

ElephantOccasional

GiraffeOccasional

Wildlife Highlights

A boat trip on Lake Victoria is a highlight of any stay on Rubondo Island. You’re certain to see lots of hippos and monster crocodiles. Also keep an eye out for spotted-necked otters. These playful creatures are common around here. Going slowly along the forested shores you might be lucky to see elephant drinking or primates, such as chimps or Kilimanjaro colobus monkeys (which were introduced from Arusha National Park), feeding in the canopy.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

June to September is the ideal time for chimp trekking. It rarely rains over this period and forest paths are dry and easy to navigate. However, Rubondo Island can be visited at any time. Rain will rarely interfere with activities (aside from in April, the peak of the Wet season). Note that the only private lodge in the park is closed from April to May (National Park accommodation remains open).