Chimpanzee Habituation in Uganda, Chimpanzee Habituation Experience is an exceptional tourist activity offered in Uganda’s Kibale Forest National Park. Uganda is a home to over 5000 chimpanzees occupying the forests of Kibale National Park, Kyambura gorge of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Budongo Forest, Kalinzu and Maramagambo among others. Of these chimpanzees, about 1500 individuals are in Kibale Forest National Park alone and tourists are offered a full-day to watch these creatures undergoing habituation through the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience.
The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience allows tourists to follow researchers and habituators into the jungles to see how these primates are studied and made accustomed to human presence. It is therefore clear that the chimpanzee groups visited during this Experience are less familiar with humans compared to the groups visited during the normal chimpanzee treks.
This exciting and challenging activity usually starts as early as 6:00am when visitors have to watch the Chimpanzees wake up (leave their nests) at 6:00 or 6:30am, followed by their daily activities that include breastfeeding infants, foraging, hunting, copulating, resting, guarding their territories until 7pm when they finally build their nests. You will also get to learn about chimpanzee interesting behavior and individual characteristics that make them closely related to humans.
Therefore make sure to be prepared by having an early breakfast and carrying your packed lunch, camera to capture every moment as well as enough drinking water.
Chimpanzee Habituation Experience Permits in Uganda
The full-day Chimpanzee habituation Experience in Uganda costs $250 per person for foreign and foreign non-residents as well as Shs 200,000 for East African Community residents. These rates include Park entrance fees for 6 hours and ranger/guide fees.
Best time for the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Uganda
There is no particular time for undertaking the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Uganda because whichever season you choose, you are guaranteed of memorable experience although under different conditions/challenges. The dry season experienced during the months of January, February, June, July, August, September and December is when chimpanzee tends to move far in-search of food yet hiking is less challenging because forest trails are less muddy and slippery. This season is usually preferred by most tourists thus making it the peak season.
The wet season (March, April, May, October and November) is when vegetation flourishes and thus chimpanzees will not have to move far in search of food hence making it easier and faster to find them. However, this season has disadvantages like forest trails being muddy and slippery as well as vegetation being thicker making trekking more challenging.
What to carry for the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Uganda
The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience is not different from Chimpanzee tracking when it comes to items you need to carry for the safari. Therefore you will need to carry long sleeved shirts, safari pants of neutral colors, a sweater, gardening gloves, cotton socks, waterproof hiking boots, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, toiletries, pair of binoculars, camera with enough space and batteries, first aid kit, waterproof backpack, your permit, water bottle, energy giving snacks and rain jacket among others.
Other interesting things to see during the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Uganda
While on your Chimpanzee Habituation Experience trip in Uganda (Kibale Forest National Park), you are likely to see other residents of the Park that include the primates-especially black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, vervet monkeys and red-tailed monkeys in addition to the elephants, Sitatunga, bushbucks and bush pigs. Also expect to see numerous bird species such as the Tropical Boubou, Pin-tailed whydah, African pied wagtail, crowned eagles, blue-headed sunbirds, Dusky Crimsonwing, Red-chested owlet, great blue turaco and slender-billed weavers among others.
How to get to Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park is situated in western Uganda, about 336 kilometers from Kampala. The northerly route which is the most popular and even shorter involves driving for about 300 kilometers by tarmac from Kampala to Fort Portal then 36 kilometers on murram to Kanyanchu Visitor Center.