Chimpanzees are unique primates to visit in Uganda and Rwanda for your memories to remember because of their diversity features and behaviours characterized.
They are rated to be the more closet primates to human features in that they almost think the same way as human beings, sometimes these primates repeat after the statements made by the human beings, they sleep up to 9.5 hours per day.
There are further characterized with palm of hands, tailless and the soles of feets are hairless, their arms are longer than the legs. Looking forward to seeing Chimpanzees in Africa, Uganda and Rwanda are the best places to go located in the Eastern part of the African Continent.
Chimpanzee Tracking & Habituation in Uganda
Uganda is one of the best places to go for Chimpanzee tracking in Africa and it’s located in the Eastern part of the African Continent with wide range of Chimp species in different National Parks and Sanctuaries with over 4950 Species recorded. These human closely related species are found in Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary.
Kibale Forest National Park is a great destination to visit in Uganda with ever green cover vegetation characterized with big species of trees. This park is commonly known for chimpanzees in its diversity with over 1,420 species recorded in this park, while in Kibale Forest National Park you can do both Chimpanzee tracking and habituation experience.
The Tracking activity involves visiting the ever-green cover vegetation of Kibale characterized with big tree species in search of these primates very excited to watch them while feeding, playing with young ones, hanging in tree branches, mating and taking photos of them for memories. It’s advised to move slowly while in the Jungle because you may scare them and let them to extend far away from the exact place you are supposed to find them, some tend to hide in the tree branches and leaves.
After locating the presence of these apes, you are allowed to stay around them for one hour while experiencing their ways of living plus behaviours, after that you are entitled to vacate the place.
The Habituation experience involves trailing with these primates in the Jungle shaping them in a way of behaving friendly with human beings and this is done for almost a full day, the price for Chimpanzee tracking and habituation experience in Kibale Forest National Park goes for $150 USD and $220 USD per person respectively, the difference between tracking and habituation experience is the time spent while with these primates in the Jungle.
For the tracking experience the time is divided into three sessions named morning session, afternoon session and evening session therefore it depends on your choice and itinerary to decide which session to go with.
If it’s hard for you to reach Kibale Forest National park but in Queen Elizabeth National Park it’s easy for you to do the chimp tracking there which is done in the Kyambura gorge side part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, this is also a good haven for bird watching for birders mostly in the morning or evening time. Chimpanzee tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park costs $50 USD per person.
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary is another place you should not miss on your bucket list while in Uganda, this is a protected area gazetted to provide care to the rescued orphaned Chimpanzees. It is located on Lake Victoria and you can better reach it by use of a boat from Entebbe which is about 40-50 minutes’ drive by boat and about 20 minutes’ drive by Aero plane, 90 minutes’ drive by local expert. When you reach a couple of activities in the bucket for you to participate in like Chimpanzee feeding, car giving plus Volunteering which takes a couple of days while at this sanctuary.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Rwanda
This activity in Rwanda is listed first among the top activities to do if you decide to spend your time in this destination while visiting its top National Parks located in different regions. This Chimpanzee tracking activity is only done in Nyungwe Forest National Park located in the Southern part for the case of Rwanda because they are only uniquely located here among the top destinations to visit with two habituated groups of Chimpanzees.
Over 500 species of Chimps are recorded in Rwanda with most part found in the Afro Montane Forest of Nyungwe Forest National Park; some of the Chimps are recorded sightable in the Cyamudongo Forest.
