Rubondo lies in the south-western corner of Lake Victoria and is largely forested — unusual for the lake, whose shores are mostly cultivated. It was gazetted as a national park in 1977.
Between 1966 and 1969 a group of chimpanzees rescued from European zoos and circuses were released on the island. They survived, bred, and their descendants now live entirely wild. A habituation programme means visitors can track them, though sightings are harder-won than at Mahale or Gombe.
The island also holds elephant, giraffe and sitatunga — the swamp-dwelling antelope for which Rubondo is among the most reliable places in Africa. Birding is exceptional, and the lake offers some of the best Nile perch fishing in East Africa.