Chimpanzee Trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is one of the magnificent activities in Uganda, and the most sought after by diverse numbers of tourists visiting Uganda’s national parks. Chimpanzees are Uganda’s exceptional wildlife with over 5000 of them living in Uganda.
They are interesting intelligent with high levels of instincts with about 98% of human DNA. More like humans, chimpanzees know how to breastfeed their young ones, play hide and seek, gather fruits, peel yellow bananas among other activities that you get to explore while on chimpanzee trekking in the rainforest and woodlands of Uganda.
Chimpanzee trekking is a breathtaking activity that involves walking through woodlands, savannah grasslands and rainforests in search of the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking provides an adventurous and exciting wildlife encounter that contributes to their conservation efforts. Revenue collected from chimpanzee trekking permits is invested back into looking after these chimpanzees, treating injured ones, investing in the habituation of more chimpanzee families and giving back to communities around the designated areas where the chimpanzees are located.
Where to trek chimpanzees in Uganda?
In Uganda, chimpanzees can be tracked in 5 destinations; Kibale Forest National Park, Ngamba Island, Budongo forest, Kyambura gorge and Kalinzu forest.
In Uganda, chimpanzees can be tracked in 5 destinations; Kibale Forest National Park, Ngamba Island, Budongo forest, Kyambura gorge and Kalinzu forest.
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee sanctuary. This is located in the middle of Lake Victoria and it is a home to 52 chimpanzees ready for human access.
Kibale Forest. Kibale Forest National Park is the main chimpanzee trekking destination in Uganda and it harbors over 1500 chimpanzees in the thick forests. Kibale Forest National Park is also known as the Primate capital of the world.
Other areas are; - Budongo Forest Reserve which is located on the southern tip of Murchison Falls National Park, Kyambura Gorge which lies in the east of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kalinzu Forest Reserve in Bushenyi district.
How chimpanzee trekking is done?
Chimpanzee trekking takes about 1 hour to 5 hours depending on where you are able to locate the chimpanzees under the guidance of a trained ranger who will offer you strictly an hour with the chimpanzees, to spot how they behave, feed, play and other characters.
For persons heading for chimpanzee trekking, be assured of being organized into groups of 8 people for different chimpanzee groups as you will be directed at the park head quarters and assigned well trained ranger guides who will be responsible to direct you clearly where to find your assigned chimpanzee family and ensuring your safety as well. The guide will help you to track where exactly the chimps may be found since they well know how they behave and move.
You will be permitted to take pictures with your flash lights off since these greatly destruct chimpanzees and may irritate them.
Chimpanzee tracking happens in the morning because it is when they are waking up from their nests and looking up for the day.
Only those with permits are allowed to encounter these amazing primates.
Chimpanzee Habituation Experience.
Apart from chimpanzee trekking, another amazing activity that tourists enjoy most is chimpanzee habituation experience. This adventure gives you more time to learn about the behaviors of chimpanzees closely and you even spend more time with them, about 4-6 hours with chimpanzees.
Best Time to do Chimpanzee Trekking.
Favorably, Uganda is gorgeously honored with good weather conditions among which it has two main dry seasons that may still receive little rainfall for nature to sprout. The two dry seasons experienced in Uganda are the very best time to do chimpanzee trekking since then the trails are navigable with short grass, open canopies for the rainforests giving the best view of the chimpanzees swinging from one tree branch to another.
Among the 2 dry seasons is a season from June to September, the longest dry season in Uganda with very less amounts of rainfall experienced once after a very long period of sunshine, providing the best access through trails and opportunities to sight chimpanzees very fast most especially near water points, as they are always thirsty during that period.
Secondly, is the season running from December to February that offers an extremely conducive dry and warm surrounding simplifying chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. Besides being a dry season, this season is as well a very peak season for the tourism industry that needs one to book the chimpanzee trekking permits as early as possible since most visitors discovered the gold offered by chimpanzee trekking which eyes forever yarn for time after time.
Booking Chimpanzee Trekking Permits.
Chimpanzee trekking permits are authentic identification documents that give tourists access to chimpanzee families. In Uganda, chimpanzee trekking permits are authorized by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for all areas where Chimpanzee trekking is done. You can only book chimpanzee trekking permit through a licensed local tour company.
Chimpanzee tracking permit in Kibale Forest National Park costs 250$ for foreign non-residents, 200$ Foreign residents and 150,000 UGX for citizens. Since chimpanzees are found in different parts of Uganda, each chimpanzee sanctuary has got its cost, but the most expensive destination is Kibale Forest National Park since it has the largest population of chimpanzees and therefore the chances for meeting them are higher than other destinations.
Our team is always here to take you through Uganda, the heart of Africa to explore the nature and beauty of chimpanzees in the different astonishing and fantastic rainforests and woodland of Uganda for chimpanzee trekking, a journey you will eternally commemorate.