Chimpanzee Trekking & Tracking Experience In Uganda
Chimpanzee tracking in Uganda is scheduled 2 times each day (morning at 8:00am & afternoon at 2:00pm). Only 8 people are allowed to track one community, each having a valid chimpanzee permit of $250 cost. Visitors are allowed to stay u pclose with the chimpanzees for at most 1 hour(60 minutes).
Chimpanzee trekking & Tracking in Uganda is done in Kibale Forest national Park, Budongo Forest(Kaniyo Pabidi) in Murchison Falls National Park, Kyambura gorge near queen Elizabeth national Park, Kalinzu Forest. While other chimpanzees are kept for visiting in Uganda Wildlife Education Center and Ngamba Island Sanctuary.
Chimpanzees are related to humans because of to the 98% DNA which is almost equivalent. They live in large communities of about 20-70 individuals divided into smaller family groups with one alpha male. The Alpha male is the head male that takes care of the entire group and maintains peace during fights, in the chimpanzee society. Male chimpanzees often remain within their communities in which they are born while females vacate to other communities after reaching adolescence.
Chimpanzees are herbivores who feed on fruits and plants just like humans. Although wild, chimpanzees are mobile, and cannot be easily spotted in the same position, but rather looked form in the jungle, thus chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest national Park.
Where To Trek To See Chimpanzees In Uganda
Chimpanzee tracking is an ultimate experience of encountering and meeting face to face with a community of Chimpanzees in the Natural Habitat. Chimpanzee tracking experience in Uganda can be done in Kibale Forest national Park, Budongo forest in Murchison Falls National Park, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kalinzu Forest & Tooro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve. However, some chimpanzees can also be found in Ngamba Island Sanctuary and Uganda Wildlife Education Center as detailed below:
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest national Park
The best place to track chimpanzees in East Africa is in Kibale forest. The forest is a hub for several species of primates and has a chimpanzee population numbering 1500 – That is to say 30 percent of the overall chimp population in Uganda. There are 3 habituated communities across Kibale National Park, but only 1 is set for tourism. Besides Chimpanzees, primates like: L’Hoests monkeys, Red colobus, Mangabeys, bush babys, baboons, Red tailed monkeys and the blue monkeys among other 13 primates call Kibale National Park a home.
Although Chimpanzee tracking is the major highlight in the Park, chances are that travelers can also sight about 345 species of bird, as well as distinct wildlife, where you expect to see Buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, bush pigs, otters and giant forest hogs. Other birds can also be seen during the Bigodi Wetlands bird sanctuary’s nature walks, including African grey parrot, hornbills and Breasted pitas. Checkout our 3 days Chimpanzee tracking tour in Kibale Forest National Park.
An Epic Chimpanzee Trekking In Kibale National Park Uganda
Chimpanzee tracking Experience in Kibale Forest national Park
There are two sessions of Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park, with first one starting at 0800hrs in the morning and the other, at 0200hrs in the afternoon. The success of seeing these chimpanzees, is rated 90%.
Besides Chimpanzee tracking, travelers can also opt for chimpanzee habituation, which allows them stay with the chimpanzees for at most 4 hours, which is greater than the limited 1 hour of tracking.
Permits from tracking chimpanzee in Kibale Forest National Park costs $250, and $300 for chimpanzee habituation experience, yet children below 12 years are not allowed to track chimpanzees.
How is Chimpanzee trekking & tracking done Kibale National Park in Uganda?
The fascinating treks at Kibale forest national Park starts with an early morning briefing about the chimpanzee rules and regulations, group allocation from Kanyanchu Visitor center. From here, a transfer is made from the gate to the point where the chimpanzee search begins.
Chimpanzees are the most sought after primates, whose search lasts between 2 to 5 hours depending on the family that’s being tracked, physical strength of the tracking group, and how far they may have moved.
Along the trail, look out for other primates including black & white colobus, red tailed monkey or the grey cheeked mangabey as well as pittas & different bird species not forgetting other tree types in the jungle.
Upon encounter, you will spend at most an hour with the chimpanzee relatives, as you observe them swing from one tree to another, feed, play about or progress speedily on the ground at your presence.
At the end of 1 hour of time spent, you will return to the park headquarters to receive a chimpanzee tracking certificate
However, Kibale Forest national park remains the home of chimpanzees. The park is characterized by an extensive number of landscapes and one among the last remaining expanses containing both lowland and montane forests. In eastern Africa, it sustains the last significant expanse of pre-montane forest
Chimpanzee Trekking & Tracking In Kalinzu Forest Uganda
Situated on the outside Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kalinzu Forest, ranks 2nd chimpanzee tracking destination after Kibale forest national Park in Uganda. The absolute population of chimpanzees enclosed in this regions contributes to 90%. Besides chimpanzees, travelers can also spot array of birds, out of the 410 bird species, which include: sunbird, cuckoos and the Great Blue Turaco.
Kalinzu Forest, has not more than 290 chimpanzee individuals in the forest, with over 70 habituated communities. Chimpanzee tracking in Kalinzu forest is presided over by the Uganda Ministry of Forestry, and a chimpanzee permit costs $50 per person.
Despite the fact that that Kalinzu forest is situated in a remote region with budget accommodations, it offers the best camping experience at night. Other travelers prefer spending nights in accommodations near Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Budongo Forest(Murchison Falls National Park)
Found in Murchison Falls National Park, Budongo forest, protects more than 800 chimpanzees, in a total land area of 825 square kilometer. The forest is ranked 3rd best chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda. The forest , which is composed of natural mahogany trees makes the best home for these chimpanzees, where, approximately 100 habituated chimpanzees of the total population, are set for tracking at Kaniyo Pabibi. Visitors on a research visit can opt for a full day chimpanzee habituation Experience.
Like Kibale Forest National Park, Budongo forest offers 2 chimpanzee tracking schedules, with morning session starting at 7:00 am, and another at 2:00pm in the afternoon. Moreover, the best time for chimpanzee tracking kin Budongo forest at Kaniyo Pabidi is between May – August, where there’s still some rain, while the dry months, cause chimpanzees to move deep into the forest in search for food, water & shelter, which lowers the opportunity of finding them, since trackers and rangers have to search for there whereabouts.
The cost for chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest, costs $130/day, and can be booked alongside wildlife safaris in Murchison Falls National Park
Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura Gorge
The Kynambura Gorge is suitably located in the valley, enroute to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Gorge spans 16km wide, and 100 meters deep, with dense forest beneath. With a concentration of several primates like Ba Baboons, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys and colobus monkeys in this area, Kyambura gorge has become a secure place to go chimp tracking.
There are about 30 chimpanzees in this place for chimpanzee tracking, and its location between Queen Elizabeth National Park and a place where most park animals meet to drink provides the opportunity to see other primates and large mammals. Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura gorge, offers an opportunity to go for a full safari, comprising of chimpanzee tracking, bird watching, game drives, boat cruise, and mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
A few of the bird species, you may expect to spot at Kyambura gorge include: the blue-headed bee-eater, falcons and the African Finfoot. However, the success rate of seeing chimpanzees here is minimal, compared to Kibale national Park, Kalinzu and Budongo, because they often move towards the depth of the thick forest, yet its permit costs $80 per person.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Semuliki Wildlife Reserve:
Situated nearby the border between Uganda & Democratic Republic of Congo, Semuliki Wildlife Reserve is a convenient home protect 260 chimpanzees, which together form 3 communities. These chimps are still be monitored, and studied , by the Indiana University, and it is revealed that, these creatures move upright, as they search for food in the savannah.
Ngamba Island chimpanzee Tracking
This is forested island is gazetted in Lake Victoria, which was established chimpanzee sanctuary to protect orphaned & rescued chimps in Uganda. The Island now has more than 40 chimpanzees, and visitors who go there, see the chimps from a protected raised platform as they participate the daily feeding of the chimpanzees.
Visiting Chimpanzees in Uganda Wildlife Education Center
The Uganda Wildlife Education Center, formerly known as the Entebbe Zoo, was formed in 1952 to secure and rehabilitate injured, and orphaned animals. The center protects about 40 chimpanzees for visiting
Cost Of Chimpanzee Trekking Permits In Uganda (How much?)
A Chimpanzee trekking permit to Kibale Forest national park costs $250, while the chimpanzee habituation permit costs $300 and can all be obtained from Uganda wildlife Authority, whose offices are located in Kamyokya.
A chimpanzee tracking permit is a must have identification document, that’s issued by the Uganda wildlife authority to authorize every tracker to access the park and track chimpanzees in the morning or in the evening. For travelers planning their own trips, the permits can be acquired by sending an email to the Uganda wildlife Authority, in order to book in advance, otherwise, they can book direct through a trusted tour operator,
Besides Kibale Forest national Park, the cost of Chimpanzees tracking permits in other destinations include: Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park at $90 per person per trek; Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth national Park at $50 per person per trek, Kalinzu Forest at $50, and Budongo Forest permits cost $90 per person per trek, whereas
How to book a chimpanzee trekking permit
A chimpanzee tracking permit can be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife authority, or otherwise through a trust worthy tour operator. All chimpanzee permits are booked prior to the tracking date, say 3 months before the actual day.
How many times can one track chimpanzees in 1 day
Chimpanzee tracking is done twice a day, with the first one in the morning that starts at 8:00am and the second one in the afternoon. Each chimpanzee tracking permit issued per person per day includes the session by which one must track.
What is the age limit for chimpanzee Trekking In Uganda ?
While booking a Kibale national Park Chimpanzee tracking, be conscious of the age limit, because trackers below the age of 12 are not allowed to track chimpanzees, hence no chimpanzee permit is issued to them. Not only that! sometimes, the age limit is raised to 15 years below which is not allowed to track chimpanzees.
