It’s another amazing adventure encounter to consider taking on chimpanzee tracking in Uganda. Uganda stands as the best country in the world to suggest such a thrilling wild encounter in a number of its tropics situated across the country. Gorilla trekking is superb, but chimpanzee tracking is wonderful.
Chimpanzees are known to be human closest relatives sharing almost 98% of human DNA, as well imitating much of human characters including; laughing, caring, emotion, etc. Just know that tracking chimpanzees are a search for lost relatives, hoo, remember the biological part of human evolution where human evolved from chimpanzees.
Chimpanzees are really special wild species that live in communities (troops) of about 20-70 individuals, with a dominant male being a leader controlling all the activities and arguments among individuals of the community. Chimpanzees are very much social mammals, where the male born in the family is always kept in that same family but females usually move to the neighboring communities.
Chimpanzees are shy species and can hide away from seeing man, for the close-up encounter, chimpanzees before are ready for tracking first under through the habituation process. The process is simply about making the species used to human presence which can last for a period of not less than two years. As well tracker only in Uganda has a chance to take part in the habituation process spending with the chimpanzees for almost a full day.
What is all about Chimpanzee Habituation?
Chimpanzee habituation starts as a follow-up for the new wild chimpanzee community which proceeds from where the community has been sighted. The process is done by a group of researchers and rangers who keep on monitoring the species studying their daily behaviors, as well studying individual characters. The process also involves naming the family and individuals according to the prevailing atmosphere.
Chimpanzee habituation in Uganda was open for trackers opting to spend more hours with the giants. A limited number of 4 trackers join the researcher to embark into the forest and start the task of searching for the species right from where they had their previous night and finding them this time trackers have much more 4 hours before the chimpanzees. The opportunity of chimpanzee habituation in Uganda remained only in Uganda in the likes of gorilla habituation, or golden monkeys. Kibale National Park is the only opportunity for one to spend more hours with the chimpanzees.
Where to see chimpanzees in Uganda
In the world, there are about 150,000 to 250,000 chimpanzees left, and Uganda alone hosts about 5,000 chimpanzees that are located from various tropics. As well there also cheaper destinations to just watch chimpanzees and these include Ngamba Island at Entebbe and at Uganda Wildlife Education Center very popular for family gate-outs. However, tracking chimpanzees in the wild it’s for only matured people starting at the age of 15 years, and these forests include;
Kibale Forest National Park
This is the world’s primate hatching grounds with over 13 primate species noted here, becoming the world primate capital. Kibale National Park for decades has offered always the best world chimpanzee tracking, the park suggests the easiest offers in Africa to see chimpanzees. The park is home to over 1,500 chimpanzees with about 12 habituated groups that are ready for tracking.
This wonderful rain forest is located in western Uganda, the forest contains a diverse array of wild species among which are the chimpanzees, various monkeys, as well one of the remaining low and montane forests. And taking a guided walk through the forest rewards a tremendous view of a variety of wildlife inhabiting the forest.
There are about 100 habituated chimpanzees in the forest and two communities still under the habituation process. Tracking here starts earlier at 8 am with a limited number of 6 trackers starting with a briefing and after being assigned to an armed ranger guide then embark into the forest to search for the species and finding them trackers have a limited time of 1 hour before the specie. Tracking at Kibale forest a permit costs US$150 per person per day and for habituation experience US$200.
Budongo Forest Reserve
The forest is located in northwestern Uganda, Budongo Forest is an extension of the bigger Murchison Falls National Park on the southern wing. The forest is always another outstanding forest to track chimpanzees in Uganda besides Kibale National Park. Budongo forest is thought to accommodate about 650 chimpanzees becoming next and proposes a guaranteed watch of the chimpanzees. The reserve has 6 habituated chimpanzee families that have been tracked for years and tracking here a permit costs US$100.
Kyambura Gorge
This is a thrilling escapement in the far east of Queen Elizabeth National Park, with special tropics which favor the presence of the chimpanzees. It’s said there are about 19 chimps here, which are trained to offer an impressive welcome to trackers in the forest. A trip to Kyambura is always an accompaniment to the famous wildlife safari of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
