Uganda Chimpanzee Tracking

Uganda Chimpanzee Tracking: Uganda is by far the best chimpanzee tracking destination in Africa with an estimated number of chimpanzees totaling to over 4950 individuals. There are said to be approximately 1500 chimpanzees in Kibale Forest alone, thus making it a haven for chimpanzee tracking activities in Uganda

Chimpanzee Tracking in Uganda is actually a very fascinating experience. Tourists who wish to see chimpanzees in Uganda will have to go to the following places; Kibale National Park, Kalinzu Forest, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Budongo Forest and Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve.

Chimpanzee tracking activities in Uganda involve tourists hiking in forests, tracking chimpanzee footprints, and locating where they made their nests the previous night in an attempt to locate chimpanzee families/ groups. This whole process can be a bit tiring for visitors and yet so rewarding once the chimps have been located.

Tourists visiting Kibale National Park can go tracking chimpanzees in Kibale Forest. The national park, located in the southwestern part of Uganda, offers visitors both chimpanzee trekking and chimpanzee habituation experience.

Although Kibale Forest is richly blessed with various primate species, its main attraction is the chimpanzees. As earlier mentioned, there are 1500 chimpanzees in Kibale forest alone and the majority of these chimps are habituated; thus, meaning that they will not run away at the sight of tourists.

All primate walks, including chimpanzee trekking activities in Kibale National Park, begin at the Kanyanchu Visitor Center. Tracking chimpanzees in Kibale forest has been going on since 1993 and therefore the chances of locating them are guaranteed.

Chimpanzee tracking activities in Kibale National Park start at exactly 8 am, 11 am and 2 pm. Tourists tracking chimpanzees in the Kibale forest are always first briefed by the head ranger at the park. After the briefing, visitors are then placed in small groups of a maximum of 6 members only; comprising a UWA ranger and guide, plus 4 visitors. Small tracking groups make tracking the chimpanzees a lot easier, and visitors can get much closer to the chimps.

In Kibale forest, chimpanzee tracking activities take between 2-5 hours and once the chimpanzees have been located, visitors are allowed to spend only an hour with them. During this period, visitors get to see how the chimpanzees socialize with each other, feed, and breastfeed their young ones as well as interact with human beings.

Chimpanzee tracking in Uganda’s Kibale National Park is strictly limited to visitors aged 16 years and above. The activity is strictly limited to the said age group because trekking chimpanzees involves a lot of hiking activities, which may prove to be too physically demanding for children. In addition to this, the behaviors of these chimpanzees can’t be predicted, thus one can’t tell how these primates will behave around the children or vice versa. This restriction set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority is so strict to the extent that visitors are asked to present their identification (birth certificate/ passport or residence ID), as proof of age.

There is also a chimpanzee habituation experience on the Kibale national page and their visitors can get to spend the entire day with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Chimpanzees’ habituation activities begin at exactly 6 am or 6:30 pm and end at 7 pm when the chimpanzees return to their nests.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kalenzu forest has picked up ground at a fast rate. This could be precisely because the cost of tracking chimpanzees in Kalinzu is much cheaper than in Queen Elizabeth or Kibale national parks. Kalinzu Central Forest Reserve is near Queen Elizabeth National Park, located just 1 hour away from the national park.

Tourists visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park on a wildlife safari can easily connect to Kalinzu Central Forest Reserve. Visitors who wish to do chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu can book their accommodation in Queen Elizabeth National Park since there are no lodging facilities available in Kalinzu forest.

Chimpanzee tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park takes place in Kyambura Gorge. Tracking chimps in Kyambura Gorge is an experience that involves more than discovering chimpanzees in their natural habitat. The activity is an educative one that involves teaching tourists about the ecosystems in Kyambura Gorge such as; its rainforest, vegetation, bird species, and other primate species like various species of monkeys.

Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park is very adventurous, thrilling, and educating as visitors get an insight into the history of the gorge, the national park, and its surrounding islands; especially the punishment island, where women along ago were banished to case, they got pregnant out of wedlock.

Tourists can also do chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest, which is located near Murchison Falls National Park. Chimpanzee tracking tours can be done by tourists after a game drive in Murchison Falls National Park. Budongo forest is situated just 1½ km from the national park, thus making it a suitable option for a short tour/safari for tourists after visiting the national park.

Budongo forest is characterized by a medium altitude damp semi-deciduous, lush, and ever-green forest that covers an estimated area of 825km². The forest is known for its former abundance of East African mahogany trees, as well as being home to a large population of chimpanzees.

Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest is offered by a private organization called the Jane Goodall Institute for Research in partnership with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The institution also offers tourists chimpanzee habituation experience during the low seasons because tourist activities in the national park are few, and hence there is less tourist congestion.

Chimpanzee Trekking activities in Budongo forest take place at 8 am and 2 pm. Tourists who visit Budongo forest have an 80% chance of seeing chimpanzees in the forest. However, tourists visiting the forest can also see other attractions existent in the forest like; bird species, butterfly species, and unique tree species.

Chimpanzee tracking in Uganda can also be done in Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve. The reserve was first established in 1926 as a game reserve and covers a total area of 542km².

Chimpanzee tracking in Toro-Semliki takes 3-4 hours and is conducted near Semliki Safari Lodge. Tourists on a chimpanzee tracking safari at the wildlife reserve are always accompanied by an experienced UWA ranger and guide.

During chimpanzee trekking activities in Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve, tourists get to see other wildlife mammals like; red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, Baboons, waterbucks, buffaloes, and elephants among others.

Tourists tracking chimpanzees in Uganda need to carry the following items with them; good hiking shoes, a camera, light, colored long sleeve shirt, long trousers, a packed lunch/snacks and mineral water.

tourists visiting Uganda and wish to track chimpanzees need to acquire their chimpanzee tracking permits in advance, at least 6 months before your day of travel. It is advisable for tourists to book their chimpanzee tracking permits through a trusted tour operator in Uganda. This makes the whole process of acquiring the chimpanzee trekking permits much easier and quicker.

Do get in touch with us for any inquiries you may have about this activity, and also get to book with us your chimpanzee tracking tour in Uganda.