Best place to trek chimpanzees in Uganda

The best place to trek chimpanzees in Uganda is Kibale National Park, with the highest chimpanzee population recorded, with over 1500 chimpanzees living in communities. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is one of the best wildlife experiences where tourists get to spend time with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Kibale is the best because tourists have a 90% chance of seeing the chimpanzees all year round because of the dense chimpanzee populations. There are other chimpanzee destinations in Uganda, and these are Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park and Kalinzu Forest.

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Kibale Forest National Park

The beautiful Kibale Forest National Park is the best place to go for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda and the world. The national park is the best place to see over 1500 chimpanzees in their natural habitat and 12 other primate species which include red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, Uganda Mangabeys, Uganda colobus monkeys, Olive baboons, Vervet monkeys, Bosman’s Pottos, blue monkeys, Patas monkeys, Bush babies and grey-cheeked Mangabeys. Kibale National Park covers over 776 square kilometers, not so far away from Queen Elizabeth National Park. The National Park has several habituated chimpanzees that are tracked by tourists who are 12 years and above.

Kibale National Park is home to 3 habituated chimpanzee communities found in the different parts of the national park, and one of the three was set apart for tracking, whereas the two chimpanzee communities are for research purposes.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park is carried out twice a day, one session in the morning and the second session in the afternoon hours at around 2:00 pm. Tourists visiting Kibale National Park have a chance to experience a full-day habituation with one of the chimpanzee-habituated communities, and there is a 90% chance of tracking and seeing chimpanzees in Kibale National Park.

Chimpanzee permit in Kibale

Tourists have to first purchase a tracking permit before they visit Uganda for the exercise, and this needs to be carried out at least 3 to 6 months before the trek date. The chimpanzee permit can be purchased through a tour operator, and the current cost of the permits for foreign non-residents is $250, for foreign residents $200 and for EAC citizens UGX180,000 per person. The habituation permit, on the other hand, is $300 for foreign non-residents (international tourists), $250 for foreign residents and EAC citizens UGX 250, 000 per person.

The chimpanzee trekking experience in Kibale

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale gives tourists an hour with the chimpanzees after locating them, and this whole process starts with a briefing experience in the early morning, which all tourists are expected to attend. The briefing is carried out by the lead guides at the park headquarters, and during the briefing, tourists are divided into groups of 6. Rules and regulations are re-echoed during the briefing, and if you have any ailments or issues, this is the right time for them to tell the guides before the trek starts. Chimpanzee trekking starts immediately after the briefing and it can take 2 to 6 hours before you find the chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are more active during the morning hours when they head off to hunt and feed, and in the afternoon hours, they are always grooming and resting, trying to find shelter from the overheating sun. After finding the chimpanzees, all groups have an hour with the chimpanzees before heading back to the park headquarters.

When trekking with chimpanzees, you need to be wary of the falling fruits from the trees, and you need to be patient because chimpanzees take their time to climb down the trees and settle down on the ground which is where they are best observed. When the chimpanzees are on the ground, you get opportunities to interact with them chimpanzees, observe their behaviors and take as many photos as you can.

Chimpanzee habituation in Kibale Forest

Chimpanzee habituation is a well-organized popular activity among tourists who visit the Park. Kibale National Park is one of the few places in Uganda where standard chimpanzee trekking is carried out and chimpanzee habituation. Chimpanzee habituation is the process of making chimpanzees get used to humans being around them and the process takes about two years or more before it is complete. The chimpanzees can only be opened for trekking when the habituation process is complete.

The cost of the chimpanzee habituation is slightly more expensive as compared to standard tracking and this is because you get to spend more time with the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee habituation is very demanding and tourists get involved in the habituation experience and related activities. Tourists wake up early morning, at the break of dawn to meet the lead guides for a briefing and to know what to expect during the exercise. After the briefing, you will go trek and meet the chimpanzees for the whole day and during the habituation process, you get to meet, watch the chimpanzees as they wake up, go on about their day with normal activities like feeding, grooming, protecting each other and resting.

During the habituation experience, lunch is provided away from the chimpanzees because it takes the whole day, and by the end of the experience, you will be familiar with the individual chimps, their behaviors, personalities and body markings to separate them from each other. The habituation exercise/safari comes to an end when the chimpanzees get into their nests for the night. Note that the exercise cannot take place without a guide and an armed ranger.

What you need to know about chimpanzees

Chimpanzees belong to a family of apes, which include orangutans and gorillas, and have a close relationship with humans sharing almost 98% DNA. Chimpanzees keep on learning new things every day, and each has a unique characteristic from the others. All these are noticeable when you spend more time with the chimpanzees during a chimpanzee trek. Chimpanzees usually live in groups/communities ranging between 10 to 100 individuals. The male dominant is always in charge, and they look out for each other in case of danger. The large chimpanzee communities often split into smaller groups during the day as they search for food and get back together after feeding.

Chimpanzees are extremely noisy, playful, stubborn and unruly, and trackers can easily locate them by their hoots and loud barks. They like living in the trees, unlike the Mountain gorillas that are best found in the ground. Contact us for more information.

Chimpanzee tracking rules and guidelines in Uganda

• Do not litter (leave rubbish lying around) the forest when on a chimpanzee tracking trail. When you get to the trails, you have to make sure that all the rubbish you have on you is kept in the backpack at all times and take everything with you when you leave the national park.
• The minimum age for chimp tracking is 12 years and this is because children are usually harder to control and might not follow all the rules and guidelines while on the chimpanzee trek trail.
• Tourists with contagious diseases like cough and flu do not trek chimpanzees. This is because the chimpanzees easily fall sick, and to them, human diseases are extremely deadly and can wipe out the entire community. This is why if you are sick, you will be asked to volunteer to track chimpanzees.
• Groups of 6 or 8 are allowed to visit the chimpanzee groups at a time for one hour. This is to make sure that the chimpanzees are not scared because of the large crowds and to limit human-to-chimpanzee disease transmission.
• All human waste (especially feaces) should be buried in a hole 30cm deep. There are no toilets in the national park, but if you feel like going, especially number 2, you have to go off the track trail, dig a hole and cover it all up after you are through so that the chimpanzees do not dig it up.
•  It is prohibited to mimic chimpanzees because this is a very bad idea since you do not know what you are communicating. It might be fun to mimic the vocals but do not try it because the chimpanzees might attack you.’
• The visit to the chimpanzees should always be limited to an hour only.
• You have to keep 7 to 8 meters from the chimpanzees when you meet them at all times. Note that although the chimpanzees are habituated, they are still wild animals and can act up at any time, so keep your distance.
• Speak/communicate in low tones when on a chimpanzee trek trail. This helps you get the opportunity to meet and observe more wildlife species in the national park and these include forest elephants, other primates and several bird species.
• It is illegal (prohibited) to eat, smoke and drink when you are near the chimpanzees.                                                                            
• Never chase the chimpanzees and stay in the group when encountering the chimpanzees.
• Do not use flash photography when taking the photos of the chimpanzees.

What to pack for the chimpanzee safari in Uganda

When going for a chimpanzee trek safari to Uganda, there are several items/things that you need to carry and these include the following:

Hike boots: Carry hike boots that are comfortable, well-fitting, and waterproof, and they should be able to support your ankles. The hike boots should protect your feet and ankles from the ants and keep your feet dry, especially during the wet season.

Clothes: The neutral-colored clothes should include undershirts, long-sleeved shirts and lightweight pants. These will keep the insects’ bites from your skin and tree/branch scratches during the trek.

Garden gloves: These are to protect your hands from the itching plants, tree branches and blisters when trekking. The trek is unpredictable, and you might slip and fall touching thorny plants, and this is where the gloves come in handy.

Waterproof rain jacket: This is a necessity whether you are going to visit during the dry or the wet season. It is to protect you from the rains that can fall at any time of the day all year round.

Insect repellent: Any type of insect repellent can work for as long as it can protect you from the bug bites that are found in Kibale National Park.

Camera: A camera is one of the essential items to bring on your safari and it should come with extra batteries, lenses, a camera bag and memory cards. The camera will help keep your trekking memories alive but make sure that you turn off the camera flash before taking photos of the chimpanzees.

Snacks and a water bottle: Trekking is a physical exercise and you will need all the energy you can get. Although meals are provided throughout the safari, you can bring energy snacks for the trek and do not forget to carry a refillable water bottle to keep hydrated.

A waterproof backpack: The backpack will be used to carry items needed when trekking, and these include a packed lunch, insect repellent, camera, batteries, drinking water, sunscreen, binoculars, and garden gloves, among others.

Binoculars: The binoculars will help tourists view several wildlife species that are at a distance, including chimpanzees, monkeys and several bird species, among others.

Sunscreen and a sunhat: These are to keep the sun rays from you as you trek through the forest, especially during the dry season. Get in touch with us for more information.

When to go for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda

Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda takes place throughout the year. However, the best time is during the rainy season despite the rain, mud and slippery trek routes. During the rainy season, the forests are fully green, and there is plenty of food for the chimpanzees, which reduces their movement, making it easy to track the chimpanzees down. During the dry season, the chimpanzees are always on the move searching for food and this leads to longer hours of searching for the chimpanzees. The beauty of trekking chimpanzees during the dry season is that the trek routes are easier to use and the downside is that the dry season is a peak season with a lot of tourists and an expensive time to travel.

For more information about chimpanzee tracking in Uganda, you can contact us at Encounter Africa Safaris or visit our website for affordable chimpanzee safari packages. of eight people can either track in the morning or afternoon