Where to see Chimpanzees in Uganda? : Chimpanzee trekking, the second most popular activity in Uganda after gorilla trekking, is people traveling into the tropical rainforest in search of habituated chimps and spending one hour with them in their natural habitat.
Where to see chimpanzees in Uganda?
If you are interested in doing chimpanzee trekking in Uganda then it’s important to note that the activity takes place in a variety of locations, including Kibale Forest National Park, which has the most chimps, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kalinzu Forest, and Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park.
Chimpanzee trekking begins extremely early in the morning in all places with a briefing on the laws and regulations to be followed while hiking. Following the briefing, you will be separated into groups of six individuals, with each group assigned a park guide and a habituated chimp family to hike with.
Chimpanzee trekking excursions in Uganda can take anything from 30 minutes to 5 hours, depending on where the chimps are discovered because they tend to roam from one location to another in quest of food. You will be able to see additional primate species such as black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, grey checked mangabeys, and a variety of bird species and flora while hiking.
Once the chimpanzees are located, you will be able to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat, learning more about their behaviors, lifestyle, and habits while watching them feed, breastfeed, hunt, play, fight, mate, rest, take photos, and record videos to show people back home after the safari.
Uganda also provides chimpanzee habituation experiential tours, in which wild chimps are educated to become accustomed to human presence in preparation for trekking. Chimpanzee habituation is only available in Kibale Forest National Park and takes two to three years to achieve.
The habituation experience in Kibale Forest National Park is led by a team of researchers, park guides, rangers, and chimp physicians, among others, and guests interested in chimp trekking will be permitted to spend four hours with the chimpanzees.
When is the best time to go chimpanzee trekking in Uganda?
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park, Kalinzu Forest, Kyambura Gorge, and Budongo Forest may be done all year, but the optimum time is during the dry season, also known as the peak season, which runs from June to September, December to January, and February. Because there is less rainfall during the dry season, access roads to chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda and chimp trekking paths are accessible, making hiking easier than during the rainy season, when the pathways are muddy and slippery, making trekking harder.
How much is a Chimpanzee permit in Uganda?
Chimpanzee trekking licenses are legal documents that allow people over the age of 15 to visit habituated chimp groups and spend one hour with them in their natural environment. The cost of chimp trekking permits in Uganda varies depending on the destination.
For example, a chimpanzee trekking permit in Queen Elizabeth national park’s Kalinzu forest and Kyambura gorge costs 50 USD per person for non-residents, 40 USD per person for residents, and 30,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Uganda’s Kibale Forest National Park costs $200 USD per person for non-residents, $150 USD for locals, and 150,000 UGX for East African citizens.
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls national park costs 130 USD per person for non-resident foreigners, 120 USD for foreign residents, and 85 USD for East African citizens.
How to book chimpanzee trekking permits in Uganda?
Booking chimpanzee trekking permits in Uganda can be done through a trusted and registered tour operator company like Explore Rwanda Tours. If you are booking a chimpanzee trekking tour in Uganda with us, all you need to do will be to provide us with your date, month and year of tracking, your preferred chimpanzee trekking destination that you wish to visit and also send us a copy of your passport.
We will check for permit availability when you contact us, and if permits are available on your selected dates, you will be required to submit a deposit for the permission. We will be able to get the chimpanzee permits on your behalf after we receive payment.
What to pack when doing chimpanzee trekking in Uganda?
Hiking shoes, garden gloves, long cotton socks, long sleeved shirt and trouser, waterproof rain jacket/poncho, bottled drinking water, camera and extra batteries, insect repellent, walking stick, hat and sunscreen, a pair of binoculars, waterproof backpack, and other items should be packed or carried when going on a chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda.
In summary, the article entails all you need to know about Where to see Chimpanzees in Uganda.
