Chimpanzee filming in Uganda

If you are looking for the perfect location for filming chimpanzees in Uganda in their natural habitat, look no further because, in this article, we are going to be looking at the different locations where you can go for chimpanzee filming. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is carried out in different locations across the country and these are Kibale Forest National Park, Ngamba Island, Kalinzu Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls National Park.

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Tourists who plan on chimpanzee filming in Uganda first have to purchase a trekking permit and the cost of the permit varies depending on the location. For more information about the chimpanzee trekking permits, check out our website for the cost of the chimpanzee permit in Uganda. In this article, we are going to look at the best places to film chimpanzees in Uganda and the requirements for chimpanzee filming.

Chimpanzee filming in Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park is located in western Uganda and is known as the primate capital on the African continent with over 13 different primate species, including chimpanzees. The national park has over 1500 chimpanzees making it the best prime destination for filming chimpanzees in Uganda. Kibale National Park has three sectors where the chimpanzee habituated families are located and suitable for the filming of the primates. The most popular sector in Kibale is Kanyanchu which attracts most of the tourists due to its easy accessibility and the well-known chimpanzee groups in the area. If you are looking at exclusive filming of the chimpanzees, then Kanyarwa and Ngogo are the places for you. The different sectors where filming for chimpanzees in Kibale is done are under the management of Makerere University, and note that they are closed off to tourists, making them the best places for filming chimpanzees in Kibale.

Filming chimpanzees in Kibale is not only because of the large population of chimpanzees but also the abundant flora and fauna in the park. The unique biodiversity offers various opportunities for filmmakers to create captivating documentaries.

Obtaining filming permits in Kibale: To film in Kibale, one needs to first obtain filming permission from UWA and Encounter Africa Safaris will be able to help with the entire process. An official letter addressed to the Executive Director of Uganda Wildlife Authority with details of your identity, the purpose of the filming, the filming dates, and the crew members. Encounter Africa Safaris will help deliver your letter to UWA head offices and do a follow-up on the letter to make sure that there are timely responses on how the permits for the filming are to be obtained.    

Chimpanzee filming in Kalinzu: Kalinzu is the second-best location for trekking chimpanzees in their natural habitat and is home to over 300 chimpanzees. There are, however, two habituated communities in Kalinzu that are open for trekking, and the habituation was possible with funds from the Japanese government. These two chimpanzee communities are open for filming and trekking throughout the year. One of the chimpanzee communities has 40 members, and the second one has 70 members. Anyone interested in filming chimpanzees in Kalinzu has to first purchase a trekking permit to be able to access the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Chimpanzees live in groups of 10 during the day to reduce the competition for food and team up again in the evening as they prepare their nests.

Filming permits in Kalinzu

Kalinzu forest is under the authority of the National Forest Authority, and all tourists wishing to film in Kalinzu first have to ask for permission. Filming chimpanzees in Kalinzu forest is one of the main activities that is carried out apart from chimp trekking, bird watching, guided forest walks and animal viewing among others. The forest is adjacent to Queen Elizabeth National Park and is home to about 6 different species including chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, and vervet monkeys. Kalinzu has over 200 chimpanzees, 70 of which are habituated and these are divided into two communities for easy trekking. The forest is under the management of the National Forestry Authority and Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Requirements for filming in Kalinzu

You will need a filming permit from the National Forestry Authority, and you will also need media cards, which are provided by the Uganda Media Council in charge of authorizing filing work in Uganda. When bringing in the filming equipment, you have to make sure that it is cleared at customs upon entry into Uganda. All filming crew members have to get accreditation from the Uganda Media Council, and each card costs $225 for 60 days of filming and $175 for 30 days of filming. Getting the Media card takes between 2 to 3 days for the cards to get ready.

The best time to go to film chimpanzees in Kalinzu is best done during the dry season when the chimpanzees are easier to trek. During the dry season of June to September and December to February receives little or no rainfall, making it easy to use the trek routes. The vegetation within the national park is not fully grown, which eases tracking and locating the chimpanzees, unlike the wet season of October to November and March to May. However, filming chimpanzees can be carried out throughout the year and tourists have a 99% chance of spotting the chimpanzees all year round.

Chimpanzee filming at Ngogo, Uganda

Ngogo Research Centre might be the best place for filming chimpanzees in Uganda in their natural habitat. Ngogo Research Centre was established in 1972, and the main focus was on explaining the ecological reason for chimpanzee demographics and how it influences chimpanzee behaviors. Researchers at Ngogo also follow the chimpanzees around, studying and recording their behavior; they also research other non-evasive things like collecting biological material for genetic analysis, collecting faecal matter and urine and conducting botanical studies on the forests where the chimpanzees live. The research was initiated by David Watts, a scholar from Yale University, in 1993, and John Mitani, a scholar from the University of Michigan, in 1995. A graduate student by the name of Kevin Langergraber joined the Ngogo project from Arizona State University in 2001 and came back as a co-director in 2011.

The crew and film need to first get in touch with the Press Accreditation for the permits and this has to be done in advance due to the few slots.

Chimpanzee filming in Kyambura Gorge

Kyambura Gorge is a magnificent area/valley that is found in the northeastern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park about 30km from the park headquarters. Kyambura Gorge is home to a few remarkable primates, including chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, colobus monkeys and baboons, among others. Known as the Valley of Apes, it is a good place for filming chimpanzees in Uganda.

As you prepare to go filming in Kyambura Gorge, you need to first obtain a Media card from the Uganda Media Council and a locating filming permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Chimpanzee filming in Budongo Forest

Chimpanzees are a big tourist magnet for tourists visiting Budongo forest and filming is the cherry on top. Located in the southwestern part of Murchison Falls National Park, Budongo Forest is best known for being home to chimpanzees and the abundant mahogany trees, which are more than 80 meters tall. Budongo Forest has about 700 chimpanzees, and there are several habituated families, which include the Waibira family, Sonso family, Waisoke family and Kaniyo-Pabidi family. With the help of a guide, you will be able to film these incredible chimps in their natural habitat.

To be able to film in Budongo Forest, you need to get a filming permit from the National Forest Authority and a media card from the Uganda Media Council and this goes for $225 for 60 days and $175 for 30 days. You have to also clear your filming equipment with customs and make sure that you have your visa with you.

The best time to go for chimpanzee filming in Budongo Forest is during the dry season of December to February and June to September. April to May are the wettest months and during this period, the grass is greener, the trek routes harder to use because they are slippery and wet and the weather conditions when viewing the chimps in their natural habitat. However, the advantage of the rainy season is that it takes a shorter time to trek the chimpanzees.

Chimpanzee filming in Ngamba Island Sanctuary

Ngamba Island was founded in 1998 and is home to about 50 chimpanzees some of which were orphaned, others rescued from illegal hunting. It is located almost 23 kilometers southeast of Entebbe town covering over 100 acres. This is a good choice when it comes to chimpanzee filming in Uganda, and at Encounter Africa safaris, we assist you by organizing a filming safari to Ngamba. Some of the requirements needed for filming at Ngamba Island include a Location filming permit and Press Accreditation.

The press accreditation is issued after filling out the FORM G forms and is issued by the Uganda Media Council. As you fill in the form, make sure that it is accompanied by a scanned passport copy (especially the bio page) and a recent passport-sized photo, as all this information is used to process the Media card. It takes about 2 to 3 working days to receive all the documents needed for the filming process. Note that each crew member has to fill out the FORM G’s and a detailed writeup has to be sent detailing the intent of filming chimpanzees in Uganda.

After you have obtained the Press Accreditation form from the Uganda Media Council, there are other permits that you need to acquire, and one of these is the location filming permission permit, especially at Ngamba Island. This can be obtained from the NGO that oversees Ngamba Island, and the cost depends on the duration of the shoot and special requests from the crew.

The steps for obtaining Media Accreditation in Uganda when chimpanzee filming

Before you start the process of getting the media accreditation in Uganda, it is important to get information about the requirements and steps needed to get the accreditation. There are several requirements that the film crew need while applying for the filming exercise and the documents that are generally needed include the following:

• All applicants have to fill out the Media Council of Uganda Form G in full.
• You have to attach a certificate of good conduct/clearance letter from Interpol from the country of origin.
• Attach a letter introducing you from your employer and address it to the Secretary Media Council of Uganda.
• Provide a passport-sized photo
• Apply for the work permit for all the applicants of the entire crew.
• Pay all the required fees for the Media Accreditation.

We will always guide you through the process of getting accredited.

Why Media Accreditation is important for the filming crew

Media Accreditation is extremely important for film crews wishing to film chimpanzees in Uganda and below are some of the reasons as to why it is important.

Access to the chimpanzees: The Media Accreditation grants the film crew access to all the restricted areas within the national park, official press conferences and events restricted to a few people allowing tourists to get exclusive information. When you get the Media accreditation, you have the chance of filming in public as well which makes getting media accreditation important before planning a chimpanzee filming safari in Uganda.

Legitimacy: When you get media accreditation, it establishes that you are a genuine or professional media personnel. The accreditation gives you protection and all the content that you have collected while in the field helping you avoid problems that might come with authorities.

Protection: The media cards give you protection and identify you as a legal worker in the country. This protects you from the exploitation of the local people who might want to extort and take credit for your work.

The cost of the Media Accreditation media card is set and can be changed at any time, and if there are any changes, a formal communication will be sent out to all.

Contact us to help you process the filming permission with the authorities, get Media cards, accommodation, transport and a guide to help you with clearance at customs for a successful chimpanzee filming safari in Uganda.