Uganda-Rwanda Chimpanzee Tracking Facts-Costs and Permits/East Africa
Uganda-Rwanda Chimpanzee Tracking Facts : Chimpanzees are unique and intelligent species that belongs to the family of primates including gorillas and orangutans. Because they share close relationship to humans, are told to have large brains and are very intelligent with great ability to learn new things. There is a prominent primatologist who studied about these great apes called Jane Goodall who discovered that chimps have a unique culture among different communities based on their specific diets and habitats.
Note, in the wild there are still remaining two distinct chimpanzee’s species, the most common chimpanzees and the pygmy species ‘’know as Bonobo’’. These common chimpanzees are located in west, East, Central and Southern Africa while the Bonobos are only found in Congo’s inhabitants and sanctuaries. The most common chimpanzee is larger ‘’weighing up to 70kilogramees’’ the communities are led by a dominant male. Yet bonobos are smaller and more peaceful with communities led by female leaders. Therefore, those in the wild can live up to 30 years and 60 in captivity.
Chimpanzees are really intelligence species which are capable of constructing complex nests in the evening and use of tools like rocks for opening nuts or sticks for removing termites from anthills. Chimps feed their diet on fruits, seed, tree leaves, honey and insects. They can as well feed on meat from other mammals and small primates whenever they can.
These species live in large extended families of between 10 to 100 individuals that look out for and take care of each other’s. Unlike great Mountain gorillas and baboons’ communities which often split into smaller groups while heading out for feeding before returning back from where to spend their night from or from their built nests. The males tend to stay within the community whereas the females may leave for nearby communities once they grow up ‘’stage of adolescence’’. The young become independent at 4 years. They can communicate like humans, through using complex methods that include gestures, facial expressions, sounds and body language to interact, convey emotion.
However, these chimpanzee’s species are widely spread in Africa but the population have reduced drastically in the last two decades with the result of declaring them a critically endangered species. The main threat to chimps are diseases, hunting –poachers do hunt them for food consumption and trade, injuries from forest traps and the destruction of habitat due to increasing human population. For this matter, several organizations have been formed to safe guard them or protect the remaining population, through ensuring that they remain surviving in the wild. And one of the introduced organization is ‘’The Jane Goodall Foundation ‘’ which has and still plays a great role in the conservation of endangered chimpanzees and other primates such as Mountain gorillas throughout Africa.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Uganda
Uganda offers the best places in the entire world to track chimpanzees, it has one of the largest population and number of places to track chimpanzees. In total Uganda hosts over 5600 chimpanzee’s individuals in the wild with a sizeable number of communities habituated. Chimpanzees in Uganda can also be found living in small forests on private land in some areas.
Uganda’s chimpanzees can be tracked from Kibale National Park, Budongo forest in Murchison Falls National Park, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park, Kalinzu Forest and Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve. Visitors to Uganda can also view Chimpanzees in Zoos and Sanctuaries like Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Uganda Wildlife Education Center.
Kibale Forest
This is Uganda’s top and best tracking place not only here but entire East Africa. Kibale forest hubs with high concentration of species and offering a number of 1500, making 30 percent of the overall population in Uganda. Kibale has ‘’3’’ habituated families and one family has been set apart for tourists and the other two for researchers. Apart from Chimpanzees, there are other variety of primate species to see in Kibale forest among which include the Red colobus, L’hoest’s monkeys, Mangabey, bush babies, baboons, Red tailed monkeys, and the blue monkeys many more. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale can be combined with birding tours as well as wildlife viewing. Some of the wildlife species to be adventured while tracking includes bush pigs, Buffaloes, Elephants, antelopes, otters and giant forest hogs. The forest also inhabits over 345 species which can be spotted nearby Bigodi swamplands, the most spotted birds here are African grey parrot, hornbills and breasted pitas. One to be able to experience the ultimate primate’s safari in Kibale, check out the 3 Days Uganda Chimpanzee tracking tour –Kibale Forest National Park.
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale forest can be done in the morning at 8am and in the afternoon at 2pm. Whatever, session you participate in the possibility of seeing these chimpanzees is high. Visitors to Uganda Kibale forest also have a chance to experience a full day chimpanzee habituation with one of the Chimpanzee communities. Kibale chimpanzee permits are more expensive than any other place in Uganda USD200 half a day, then chimpanzee habituation experience costs USD250 a full day activity. Travelers who want to organize for themselves a trip /buying a permits can be acquired through emailing or calling direct from the Uganda Wildlife Authority Office-please try to book in advance. There are some discounts during certain months of the year. For more details, contacts us Achieve Global Safaris, guests are our first priority.
Kalinzu Forest
Kalinzu forest is second best place to track chimpanzees in Uganda, located outside Queen Elizabeth national park. Most of visitors to the Queen Elizabeth national park often do chimpanzee tracking to the park’s Kyambura Gorge yet the probability of seeing higher number of chimpanzees is in Kalinzu forest. The sheer density and concentration of chimps in relatively small area raises to over 90 percent. Apart from chimps, the forest inhabits with over 410 bird species which can be spotted on your tracking day some species are sunbirds, cuckoos and Great Blue Turaco plus species like small primates, beautiful butterflies, moths, reptiles and flowers as you go through the four guided trails in the forest.
The forest houses about 290 species of chimpanzees with over 70 habituated, also acted for research purposes. Currently, a group of Japanese scientists have been studying chimpanzee’s families /communities here for the last two decades. Kalinzu forest is managed by the Uganda ministry of forestry. Because of different management Kalinzu tracking permits costs USD35 which is far less than at Kibale. More so, the minimum age for tracking chimpanzees in Kalinzu forest is 12 years. But the disadvantage here, is lack of accommodation and the tourists who prefer for overnight stay, you can do camping in the forest or get a perfect accommodation near in the Queen Elizabeth national park.
Budongo Forest
This forest covers about 825 square kilometers home to over 800 chimpanzee individuals, marking the third respective place for chimp tracking in Uganda. Budongo forest is found within the Murchison falls national park and it takes 3 to 4 hours’ drive from Kampala. The tallest mahogany trees are found in this forest providing a good shelter for these unique apes and other small primates. There are about 100 habituated chimpanzees available for tracking at Kaniyo pabidi out of the total chimp population. Those who want to spend full day in the forest while experiencing its beautiful green nature opt for Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Budongo.
Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo starts early at 7am –morning session and 2pm for the afternoon session. The best time to do track chimpanzee in Budongo is in the months of May and August which are rainy seasons. In Budongo forest, during the dry season, chimps tend to move deep into the forest looking for scarce food, water and shelter. These movements reduce the chances of viewing them significantly because visitors or trackers have to move great distances searching for them. Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo can be done along with a wildlife safari to the Murchison falls national park. Budongo Chimpanzee permits cost USD85.
Kyambura Gorge
The Kyambura Gorge sits in a valley within the Queen Elizabeth National park, just a convenient place to see chimpanzee while on safari to the park. The gorge is located 16kilometers long and about 100 meters deep with a thick underground forest, being famous for its various primates like Baboons, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and colobus monkeys. The population of chimpanzees is quite small at about 30 but chimpanzee tracking done in Kyambura Gorge has two advantages, located within Uganda’s second and most visited game park for wild viewing especially in dry seasons.
Choosing to do Chimpanzee tracking at Kyambura Gorge provides a traveler with a great opportunity of combining, Chimpanzee tracking with birdwatching, game drive all these can be done inside Queen Elizabeth national park. You can add on doing gorilla trekking at the nearby Bwindi Impenetrable national park. Some of birds to see at the gorge while tracking includes the Blue –headed bee-eater, falcons and African finfoot. The probability of seeing chimps in the gorge is low compared to Kibale or Kalinzu. Though, they often move deep into the underground forest making it harder to locate them on certain days. At the Kyambura gorge chimpanzee permits costs USD50 per person per day.
Semuliki Wildlife Reserve
This reserve is located close to the border between Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, with population of about 260 chimps living in 3 communities. The chimps from here are studied by scientists all away from Indiana University and have been noted to have amazing habit of moving upright as they leave the forest to go feed in the open savannah.
Ngamba Island
Ngambi island seemed to be a small forested island on Lake Victoria, later was turned into a chimpanzee sanctuary to protect chimps all over Uganda. There are about 40 individuals being cared for in the island. Visitors and families with children are allowed to view the chimps from a safe raised platform as they come to feed three feed three times a day.
The Uganda Wildlife Education Center
It was formerly known as Entebbe zoo, created in 1952 to rehabilitate injured, confiscated and orphaned animals. Over 40 chimpanzees can be viewed here from enclosures by the travelers and families with children.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Rwanda
In Rwanda, Chimpanzee tracking can be done in Nyungwe forest and Gishwati Mukara National park. Mountain gorillas are most valuable tourism impact for Rwanda, chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe national park is one of best done and thrilling activity within the park, primate’s lovers this can be an ideal place while visiting. Rwanda chimpanzee permits costs USD100 and Gorilla permits USD1500 per day per person. Visitors on your tracking day expect to come across over 10 primate’s species which include; Vervet monkeys, Angola colobus, L’hoest’s, Rwenzori colobus, Owl-faced monkeys, Don’t Mona monkeys, Golden monkeys, Silver monkeys, Olive baboons, Red-tailed monkeys, bush bay and grey-cheeked mangabey many more.
In Nyungwe forest, there are about 500 individuals but unfortunately a number of them are not habituated. Chimps here are hard to locate since are always on the move in a large forest. Other places to do chimp tracking in Rwanda is Cyamudongo and Uwinka. Rwanda chimpanzee tracking permits can be secured from, Rwanda Development Board Offices in Kigali or at the park.
Rules and Regulation for Chimpanzee tracking in Uganda
Always book your chimpanzee permits in advance especially during the peak season
Do not eat near chimpanzee
Photos are taken only with digital, flash discs are not allowed
Smoking while tracking is not allowed
Only 6 people are allowed to track chimpanzees
Do not litter the forest while tracking
Children below 15 years are not allowed to track
Keep a distance of about 7 to8 meters away from chimpanzees
If you know your sick do not attempt to visit the chimpanzees
Do not talk too loud
What to carry for your chimpanzee tracking?
Chimpanzee tracking requires careful planning with your tour operator before setting off for your memorable and stress-free event thus consider Uganda-Rwanda Chimpanzee Tracking Facts. You’re advised to carry along the following items;
They include; suitable shoes, long sleeved clothes, packed snack, enough mineral water bottles, pair of binocular, camera and extra batteries, walking stick can be provided at the park headquarters, hat, sunglasses among others.
