Chimpanzee Tracking in Uganda : Uganda is one of the best destinations in the world to do chimpanzee tracking experience, Uganda has been noted to be one of the most important primate sanctuaries on the African continent as well as the world with over 5,000 chimpanzee individuals.

Chimpanzee inhabit in the forest canopies found in various areas of Uganda including Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu forest, Budongo forest, Kibale national park among others. Among all the habitats of chimpanzee in Uganda, Kibale national park is a home to the largest population of habituated chimpanzees in Uganda and East Africa. Chimpanzee tracking is a very rewarding experience which you should include on the itinerary of Uganda safari, this experience offers close up encounter with the beautiful chimpanzees in their natural habitat.

ABOUT CHIMPANZEES

Chimpanzees are beautiful primates and the closet relatives to humans sharing about 98% similar DNA composition with humans, naturally chimpanzees are sociable, intelligent and very communicative and one of their fascinating traits is their ability to utilize tools like rocks for crushing nuts, empty pods for hollowing out water put using sticks to capture termites from their holes.

Chimpanzees grown to an average weight between 35 – 70 kilograms and height of about 3 meters for a grown male, average weight between 26 – 50 kilograms and height between 2 and 4 feet for female chimpanzee.

Chimpanzees are social beings staying in groups of about 10-100 members, within their troops/groups chimps babysit each other’s young, kiss, groom one another and hold hands. At the age of 4 years, a young chimp may be unsociable and aggressive if disturbed, chimpanzee generally spend most of their time on ground and the normally feed and make their sleeping nests up in the trees.

The diet of the chimpanzees comprises of leaves, seeds, fruits and flowers. The life expectancy for chimpanzees is at 40 years for chimpanzees in the wild and 60 years for chimpanzees in captivity.

CHIMPANZEE TRACKING EXPERIENCE

Chimpanzee tracking experience is a trilling and extremely rewarding activity offered in two sessions that is morning and afternoon tracking, the morning chimpanzee tracking starts at 08:00 am and the afternoon tracking starts at 15:00.

Chimpanzee tracking experience starts with briefing at the park’s headquarters or designated briefing spot, the briefing is conducted by an experienced ranger and in this session rules and regulations to follow in the presence of the chimps is read to you. After the briefing, you are grouped into 6 and head into the forests with a ranger guide looking for chimpanzees.  The experience takes about 2-4 hours and as you walk through the forests you will be able to spot other primates such as white and black colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and many birds. When you find the chimpanzees you will spend one hour in the presence of the chimps while observing the behavior of the chimps and take amazing pictures. After one hour, you will trek back to the starting point marking the end of chimpanzee tracking experience.  

WHERE TO TRACK CHIMPS IN UGANDA

KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

Kibale national park often referred to as Kibale Forest national park is a private haven in Uganda hosting the largest population of habituated chimpanzees in East Africa and is the best destination in Uganda for chimpanzee tracking. Kibale national park is located in the western Uganda slightly off the Equator covering an area of 776 square kilometers, the park protects the moist evergreen rainforest and is one of the last remaining expanses to contain both lowland and montane forests which are used as home to chimpanzees.

Kibale national park is a primate capital of the world hosting 13 species of primates with 120 habituated chimpanzees and over 1400 wild chimpanzees, the park is rate of locating chimpanzee during chimpanzee tracking is 95%. Primates in Kibale national park include chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, grey checked mangabeys, Uganda Mangabey, Uganda red colobus, Demidoff Galago, The potto and Patas monkey. Kibale national park currently hosts about 12o habituated chimpanzees which are open for chimpanzee tracking and two new chimpanzee troops which are currently undergoing habituation experience. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale national park is offered twice a day that is at 08:00 am and 02:00 pm.

Given that tracking chimpanzees in Kibale national park is 99% guaranteed, chimpanzee permits are highly competitive and interested people are required to reserve and purchase your permits at least 5 months before arrival. Fees for chimpanzee permits in Kibale national park cost US$200 per person

KYAMBURA GORGE

Kyambura Gorge is an amazing chimpanzee habitat and a good chimpanzee tracking in Uganda situated in the far East of Queen Elizabeth national park in the western region of Uganda. Kyambura Gorge often called Chambura and referred to as the “valley of Apes”, the gorge is approximately 1 kilometer across at its broadest point and about 100 meters’ deeps. Kyambura Gorge is drained by Kyambura gorge and is heavily forested offering a home to a rich wildlife bio-diversity including primates.

Chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge are recorded to be about 17 individuals and generally an isolated community, chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura offer an opportunity to watch chimpanzees interact, feed and play with each others for one hour. The chances of seeing chimpanzees during chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge are lower than that of Kibale national park and they are at 50%. Fees for Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura gorge cost US $50 per person

BUDONGO FOREST

Budongo Forest is another incredible home for chimpanzees in Uganda and one of the best places to do chimpanzee tracking in Uganda, Budongo forest is situated in Western region of Uganda in Masindi on the escarpment northeast of Lake Albert on the way to Murchison Falls national park. Budongo Forest is a home to about 700 chimpanzees with 3 groups of habituated chimpanzees that are identified as Sonso community, Wabira community and Kaniyo Pabidi community.

Budongo Forest is famously known for being a home to a huge population of chimpanzees and abundance of exceptionally large mahogany trees which grow more than 80 meters tall and about 20 meters in circumference, the forest covers an area of 825 square kilometers. The success of seeing the chimpanzees in Budongo Forest during chimpanzee tracking is about 50%.

Budongo forest reserve is one of the best places to track chimpanzees in Uganda. Chimpanzee trekking is the main activity that draws tourists to the forest. Most of the tracking takes place at Kaniyo Pabidi which is located south of the Murchison Falls National Park.

Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo usually starts with briefing from the information Centre at the Budongo Eco Lodge. The Chimpanzee communities roam very close to the Budongo Eco lodge on most days of the year. However, during certain periods of the year, they wander way in search of fruits and water. During these periods of food scarcity, finding them is not always guaranteed. The success rate of seeing chimpanzees in this forest is very high. For better sights of these primates, visitors are recommended to travel during the months between December and January. Budongo forest experiences two rainy and dry seasons. The rainy season is between March to May and September to November. The main dry season is between December and February then from June to August.

Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest lasts for an average of about 2-5 hours. After locating the chimpanzees, visitors are only allowed one hour with them. In order to participate in the chimpanzee trekking exercise, one needs to be in good health and free from diseases because chimpanzees easily contract human diseases. One also needs to be at least 15 years of age to track chimpanzees. The cost of chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest reserve is US$90.

BUGOMA FOREST RESERVE

Bugoma forest reserve is among the most popular and endangered rainforests in Uganda located in the south-western part of Uganda – Kikuube district, Hoima district in the south, Kyenjojo district in the west, and at the eastern side of Lake Albert, however, Kikuube district covers the greatest parts of the forest. The forest is managed by the National Forestry Authority (NFA), a governmental parastal mandated to manage all Central Forest reserves in Uganda. Bugoma Forest Reserve covers an area of about 401 square kilometres (155 square miles/40,100 hectares). It was established into a Forest Reserve in 1932 and it has since been managed by the National Forestry Authority till date.

Bugoma Forest Reserve is specifically situated on the top of an escarpment, east of Lake Albert on the fringe of the Western Rift Valley which offers breath-taking views of the countryside and other surrounding areas. Bugoma forest reserve landscape is characterized by medium altitude semi-deciduous Forest whereby about half of the forested section of the Forest Reserve is dominated by Iron wood which scientifically is known as Cynometra alexandri and locally is known as the Muhimbi. Bugoma Forest Reserve is drained by four small rivers that include River Bubwa, River Wake, River Sonso and River Waisoke that pour their water into Lake Albert. Bugoma Forest Reserve is a one of the biologically important reserve in the Albertine region of Uganda with a conservation value in terms of specie resources as well as providing functional forest blocks of certain species that require maintenance viable populations

Bugoma forest reserve is estimated to host about 600 chimpanzees within the forest and other large groups of primates such as the Black and white Colobus monkeys, the Grey cheeked mangabeys, the Vervet monkeys, the Blue monkeys, the Red tailed monkeys just to mention a few

Facts about Chimpanzees

Chimpanzee trekking being the main tourist attraction in Bugondo forest reserve, has over 600 chimpanzees that inhabit in the forest. These chimpanzees are similar to those of Kibale forest national park;

• They are intelligent creatures sharing 98% of the human being DNA and eat a variety of foods including plants and fruits.
• Fully grown male chimpanzees weigh up to 70 kilograms while females may reach 50 Kilograms.
• Chimpanzees can live up to 60 years in captivity.
• Unlike males, female chimpanzees usually leave the community they were born in once they reach adolescence.
• Like humans, chimpanzees easily adapt to different environments and learn to use new tools. Because of this, chimpanzee communities differ in overall behavior depending on where they live.

CHIMPANZEE TRACKING RULES AND REGULATIONS

• In the presence of the chimpanzee, keep a distance of about 8 meters
• People with diseases such as flue or diarrhea are not allowed to participate in chimpanzee tracking, this is done to avoid spreading these diseases to the chimps
• Do not provoke chimpanzees while in their presence
• Always follow the guidelines given to you by the ranger
• Avoid eating in the presence of the chimps
• A minimum of 6 people per group are to participate in the tracking
• During chimpanzee tracking, you are to stay in the presence of chimpanzees for one hour.

WHAT TO CARRY FOR A CHIMPANZEE TRACKING EXPERIENCE?

• Comfortable and well fitting hiking shoes
• Wear long sleeved t-shirts and shirts to protect you from pricking thickets in the jungle
• A rain gear
• Enough drinking water and energy giving snacks
• A pair of binoculars
• If you wish to take pictures, carry a good camera with a fast film of 400 – 800 ASA.