Chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda

Chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda: Chimpanzee habituation is an activity that involves trekkers visiting the jungle, where they search for semi-habituated chimpanzees and are around them while carrying out activities that help them get used to human presence. Uganda is one of the lucky countries where chimpanzee habituation does take place. The country hosts the highest population of chimpanzees in the whole world, which live in different protected areas across the country. The most popular destination is Kibale Forest National Park, where more than half of the chimpanzees in the world live.

Apart from Kibale Forest National Park, chimpanzees can be seen in areas like Budongo Forest, Kalinzu Forest, and Kyambura Gorge of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Most of these areas are open for chimpanzee trekking activities as the chimpanzees are fully habituated and used to human presence around them. Kibale Forest National Park and Budongo Forest are the only two places in Uganda where tourists can have a chimpanzee habituation experience. Because of the increasing population of chimpanzees, some of the chimpanzees are being habituated to increase the number of troops for tourist visits.

Chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda

Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale Forest National Park, located in Fort Portal, is the best place to have chimpanzee habituation in Uganda. This is because the forest hosts the highest number of chimpanzees in the whole world. There are so many chimpanzee troops within Kibale Forest, and some of them are still going through habituation, giving tourists an opportunity to be part of the four-hour activity that makes the members get used to human presence around them.

Carrying out chimpanzee habituation in Kibale Forest National Park is the best experience because the trekkers get to meet a troop with about 20 to 80 chimpanzees. Chimpanzee habituation in Kibale Forest National Park starts early morning with a briefing where trekkers are taught the rules and regulations of the activity. A team of ranger guides, chimpanzee doctors, and researchers go with the trekkers in the jungle, where they start to look for where the chimpanzees could be.

Trekkers are excited to locate chimpanzees after hours of searching, as these are the closest relatives to human beings. The trekkers are guided on the activities to do so as to make these chimpanzees get used to human presence around them. This is a four-hour activity, and trekkers get enough time to record videos, take photos, and watch the members carry out daily activities.

Tourists who are interested in carrying out chimpanzee habituation from Kibale Forest National Park need a chimpanzee habituation permit. These are documents issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to allow tourists to meet these chimpanzees in their natural habitats. Each chimpanzee habituation permit costs $300 USD for foreign non-residents, $250 for foreign residents, and the rest of Africa, while citizens of East African member states pay UGX 250,000.

Budongo forest

Another destination that gives tourists an opportunity to carry out chimpanzee habituation is Budongo Forest. Budongo Forest is a tropical rainforest located inside Murchison Falls National Park, harboring several chimpanzees. Some of these chimpanzees are habituated, others are going through habituation, while the rest are still wild. On a safari to Budongo Forest, tourists can participate in the four-hour chimpanzee habituation organized by Great Lakes within this forest. This comes with an opportunity to be part of the activities that help these chimpanzees get used to human presence around them.

To be part of the chimpanzee habituation in Budongo Forest, you need to first secure a chimpanzee habituation permit. This can be done by your tour operator, or you can also book directly from Great Lakes Limited, which manages and protects these chimpanzees. A single chimpanzee habituation permit costs $220 for foreign non-residents, $150 for foreign residents, and $80 for Ugandan citizens. This activity can be done in other months of the year except the high season months of July and August.

When to carry out chimpanzee habituation in Uganda

Uganda can be visited all throughout the year because of the good weather; however, some months are better than others. The dry season months from June to September and December to February are the most recommended. These come with little or no rainfall and plenty of sunshine, which makes the activity interesting. The trekking trails are dry and easier to walk through, while the vegetation gives a clear view of the attractions because it’s short. The passable trails also make the location of these chimpanzees quick since trekkers are moving around the forest with less difficulty.

Tourists can still carry out chimpanzee habituation during the rainy season period, which occurs from March to May and October to November. The parks will always be open for all the activities; however, those intending to trek need to know that, being a rainy season, it can be rainy at any time of the day, and this makes the activity less interesting. When the vegetation is tall, the trekkers get to have unclear views of some of the attractions during the activity. Tourists planning to trek with chimpanzees in the rainy season should carry rain jackets and waterproof hiking shoes.

What a tourist needs to pack for a chimpanzee habituation experience

To have the best chimpanzee trekking habituation in Uganda, tourists are given a list of essentials to bring along, and these are all used during the activity. Things to pack include waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton socks, a pair of gaiters, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved pants, a rain jacket, a light backpack, sunscreen, insect repellents, energy-giving snacks, a camera, and a pair of binoculars. On the day of habituation, you will be given a packed lunch, enough drinking water, and a walking stick to help you balance in the jungle.