Chimpanzee safaris in Uganda offer a remarkable opportunity for nature lovers to encounter chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Uganda is a distinct destination, home to plenty of great apes, and hosts over 5050 chimpanzees. Tracking chimps in the wild allows you to visit a habituated chimpanzee community, observe daily behaviors, and take pictures of chimpanzees.
Chimpanzees live in large communities comprising about 10 to 100 members. In each chimpanzee community, there is an alpha male who heads it, protects the rest of the community members, and is responsible for finding foraging sites as well as mating.
Chimpanzee trekking safaris in Uganda
Chimpanzees in Uganda live in several locations including Kibale Forest National Park, Budongo Forest (Murchison Falls National Park), Kyambura Gorge (Queen Elizabeth National Park), Kalinzu Forest Reserve, and Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve (Semuliki National Park).
Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is the leading chimpanzee safari park in Uganda, home to over 1500 chimpanzees and over 4 habituated chimpanzee communities. At Kibale, visitors have plenty of chances to encounter chimpanzees in the wild given the huge concentration of chimpanzees and they have undergone full habituation.
Kibale is situated in Kabarole District, Western Uganda and treks begin from Kanyanchu Visitor Center. The normal chimpanzee treks begin in the morning and afternoon taking about 2 to 4 hours that is inclusive of one hour of a close encounter with chimpanzees.
During the actual chimpanzee trek, you will be observing other primates (the park hosts 13 primate species) including the red colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, bush babies, L’hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, mangabeys, and others.
The park also protects many other animal species, especially elephants, buffaloes, antelope families, giant forest hogs, and over 375 bird species such as green-breasted pittas, African grey parrots, black and white casqued hornbills, and more.
Visiting Kibale chimpanzees requires all participants to have valid permits. Each permit costs USD 220 per person and you can secure one through the tour operator whom you will be dealing with in planning your safari.
Besides normal chimpanzee treks, there is also an option of embarking on a chimpanzee habituation experience. This is best referred to as CHEX, a long day/half day primate expedition to explore semi-habituated chimpanzee communities in Kibale Forest.
Kalinzu Forest
Kalinzu lies just outside the Queen Elizabeth National Park, a renowned home to tree-climbing lions. At Kalinzu, visitors enjoy being up close with more than chimpanzees because this natural forest holds other species. Over 290 chimpanzees reside within Kalinzu and 70 of them have undergone habituation.
Budongo forest (Murchison Falls National Park)
Budongo Forest lies on the Southern side of Murchison Falls National Park, Northwestern Uganda. It is an 825 sq. km natural forest, home to more than 800 chimpanzees and this comes second after Kibale when it comes to a huge concentration of chimpanzees in the wild.
At Budongo Forest, over 100 chimpanzees have been habituated and open for trekking in Kaniyo-Pabidi. Two sessions of chimpanzee tracking can be done in Budongo- the morning session starting at 8:00 am and the afternoon, at 2:00 pm. The beauty of chimpanzee safaris in Budongo is that you can visit chimpanzees and proceed on game drives or boat cruises, especially for guests on long tours.
Kyambura Gorge
The remarkable Kyambura Gorge lies at the border of Queen Elizabeth National Park and offers excellent chimpanzee trekking experiences. This natural gorge is 16 km long and 100 meters deep. A huge concentration of primates exists within the Kyambura Gorge besides chimpanzees.
They include vervet monkeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys. There are also many birds to be spotted and the gorge protects mainly the African fin foot, blue-headed bee-eaters, and falcons.
Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve (Semuliki NP-Budinbugyo)
Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve lies at the Uganda border with the D.R. Congo and shelters over 260 chimpanzees and 3 chimpanzee communities. The Semliki chimps are being studied by Indian University scientists.
Regulations for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda
- A valid chimpanzee permit is a must-have for all chimpanzee trekking in Uganda
- Do not leave the forest dirty, keep it clean
- Avoid loud noise while tracking chimpanzees
- A maximum of one hour is allowed for visitors to stay face-to-face with chimpanzees.
- Keep a distance of 7-8 meters off from chimpanzees
- Children are not accepted to trek with chimpanzees.
- Do not eat/smoke close to chimpanzees
What to pack for chimpanzee safari in Uganda
- Waterproof hiking boots
- A good camera free of flashlight
- Daypack
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Trousers
- Insect repellents
- Bottled drinking water
- Sunscreen
When to go for chimpanzee safaris in Uganda
The dry season is the best time to visit Uganda for chimpanzee safaris. This is the long and short dry season – the long dry season (June to September), December, and January to February (short dry months).
