It is an important ecotourism and safari destination, well-known for its population of habituated chimpanzees and twelve other species of primates.

This is speculated to be because the park directly brings in revenue for those living around it and the tourism industry creates jobs.

The park protects several well-studied habituated communities of common chimpanzee, as well as several species of Central African monkey including the Uganda mangabey (Lophocebus ugandae), the Ugandan red colobus (Procolobus tephrosceles) and the L'Hoest's monkey.

Other terrestrial mammals that are found within Kibale National Park include red and blue duikers, bushbucks, sitatungas, bushpigs, giant forest hogs, common warthogs, and African buffalo.

The carnivores that are present include leopards, African golden cats, servals, different mongooses and two species of otter.

Some endangered timber species of trees include Cordia millenii, Entandrophragma angolense, and Lovoa swynnertonnii.

The forest understory is dominated by shade-tolerant shrubs and herbs, which include Palisota schweinfurthii and Pollia condensata, in addition to ferns and broad leaf grasses.

[8] The results showed that plots within the park that had the longest history of fire exclusion and the highest tree species diversity.

[8] Another study evaluated the use of exotic pine and cypress tree plantations as a forest restoration technique within the park.

From 1999 to 2002 an effort was made to commercialize this coffee as a premium consumer brand, emulating and extending the success of shade grown in Central America.

[11] The project was implemented with funding from the Ford Foundation and $750,000 from the World Bank Global Environment Facility.

The project had initial success in setting up local production standards and procedures and control infrastructure.

Initially it was led by the Uganda Coffee Trade Federation, until the independent US-based non-profit Kibale Forest Foundation was created to take over the project.