CHIMPANZEE TREKKING IN UGANDA
What Chimpanzee trekking expeditions are there in Uganda?
Across the globe, Uganda is the best destination for trekking Chimpanzees. Uganda is home to over 5000 chimpanzees, spread across the country, majorly in Kibale forest National Park; and at Murchison Falls National Park-(Budongo and Bugoma forest reserves -Kaniyo Pabidi section); Queen Elizabeth National Park (Kyambura Gorge- Kyambura Wildlife reserve); Kalinzu forest reserve; Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary; and at Uganda Wildlife Education Centre- Entebbe Zoo.
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are endangered primates living in the tropical forests of Uganda.
The primates are found in the northern and western part of Uganda; and some, in the protected areas (National parks and Forest reserves) and others in the forest-like vegetation areas outside protected areas. The type of Chimpanzees found in Uganda belong to the Eastern Chimpanzee (Pt.schweinfurthii) subspecies;
What is unique about Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda?
Chimpanzee trekking is a specialized rewarding primate safari adventure that turns unimaginable experience into a reality, when dream-focused chimpanzee trekkers, actively step-up for a Primate Safari tour to Africa to trek the chimpanzees. Trekking Chimpanzees is a fabulous adventure, with 97% chances to watch the chimps at short distance (8-10 metre away), and witness very interesting chimpanzees’ behaviours, including social group behaviours, intelligence, beauty, while appreciating their much like human liveliness, sign language, flexibility, composed emotions, including feeding and dominance behaviour by the alpha-male chimpanzee.
What is Trekking?
Trekking Chimpanzees is a lifetime rewarding experience; characterized by walking through the jungle (difficult environment) in a small group of 8 individuals, searching chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Trekking itself may take approximately three – to- four hours, including an additional hour dedicated to excitable interaction time with the chimpanzees, after spotting them. Chimpanzee trekking is a joyous field-based physical activity that tests the person’s body fitness. It presents 95% chances of encountering on the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Before walking into the jungle to trek the chimpanzees, tourists are obliged to secure chimpanzee trekking permit, well, in advance; carry along good hiking boots, suncream, waterproof jackets, insect repellent, drinking water (1.5Ltrs) and a packed lunch, to ensure maximum safety, and good health while trekking chimpanzee
How many types of Chimpanzee trekking expeditions are there?
There are two types of Chimpanzee trekking expeditions:
- Chimpanzee tracking : Chimpanzee trekking is a physical activity where trekkers walk into the jungle to view chimpanzees in their wildness.
- Chimpanzee habituation experience: This refers to watching chimpanzees, previously trained to adapt to human presence in their natural habitat. Habituated chimpanzees are trained to become used to human beings and remain comfortable, each time human beings step into their natural habitat for all kinds of reason. Some tourists prefer chimpanzee habituated experience to chimpanzee trekking because of its wonderful stunning excitement enjoyed for a half day or full day watching chimpanzees’ behaviours.
What does Chimpanzee habituation experience mean?
Chimpanzee habituation is a scientific process that gradually enables chimpanzees to become familiar with human beings who occasionally invade their natural habitat for different reasons, including providing safety and care, conducting research, conserving and watching them. Habituated chimpanzees are a great resource to the tourism industry and wildlife conservation practitioner because of their acquired instinct of co-existence. Habituated Chimpanzees’ behaviour greatly differ from that of the none- habituated chimpanzees. While the none-habituated chimpanzees may react aggressively, on spotting human beings in their natural habitat, habituated chimpanzees do not because of the lengthwise human exposure training.
Chimpanzee habituation experience is an amazing, interesting, safer and rewarding expedition; and if handled by Active African Vacation Tour Operators in Uganda; your Safari tour expectations and excitement triples in all dimensions. Tourists have paid more dollars, some, have spent half day, others, full day in chimpanzee habituation experiences in Uganda. Often, tourist enjoy the time they spent interacting with the chimpanzees, watching their feeding behaviour, social behaviour, much more than what none- habituated chimpanzees tour expedition of 1 to 4 hours can offer.
Habituated chimpanzees are trained to adapt to human encounter and interference in their space. This has paved way to enable focused tourists, researchers and doctor to walk freely and safely into the Chimpanzees’ natural habitat space, to enjoy the amazing chimpanzee habituated experience in both low and high peak seasons.
What is high peak season and low season?
What is the cost of trekking Chimpanzees in different National parks in Uganda?
| Name of the Parks and Sanctuaries for Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. | Chimpanzee trekking fees in USD or UGX for different category of people | ||
| Foreign non-resident, per person | Foreign Resident, per person | East African Citizen, per person | |
| Kibale Forest National Park | USD 200.00 | USD 150.00 | UGX 150,000/= |
| Kalinzu Forest reserve | USD 50.00 | USD 50.00 | UGX 30,000/= |
| Queen Elizabeth NP -Kyambura Gorge | USD 50.00 | USD 50.00 | UGX 30,000/= |
| Murchison Fall National Park- in Budongo Forest. | USD 130.00 High Peak
USD 120.00 (Low season) |
USD 120.00 (High peak)
USD 110.00 (low season) |
USD 85.00 (High peak)
USD 80.00 (low season) |
| Toro-Semiliki Wildlife reserve | USD 30.00 | USD 30.00 | UGX 30,000/= |
| Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary | USD 250.00 Full day
USD 100.00 Half day Group tours: USD 37.00 per person in a group of at least eight |
USD 250.00 Full day
USD 100.00 Half day Group tours: USD 37.00 per person in a group of at least eight |
UGX 150,000/= Full day
UGX 75,000/= Half day Group tours: UGX 50,000/= per person in a group of at least eight
|
| Uganda Wildlife Education Centre- Entebbe Zoo. | USD 15.00 Adults
USD 10.00 Children
USD 70.00 (Behind the scene experience- Adult) |
USD 15.00 (Adult)
USD 5.00 (children)
USD 50.00 (Behind the scene experience- Adult) |
UGX 10,000/= Adults
UDX 5,000/= Children
UGX 50.00 ( Behind the scene experience- Adult) |
What is needed to book a successful chimpanzee trekking in Uganda?
Chimpanzee trekking requires some level of physically fitness, with ability to walk in the jungle, to see distant objects, to hear different sounds, a clear costed safari tour plan and good choice of a tour operator to provide related services.
Ngamba Island
Ngamba Island is found in Lake Victoria, and it is home to 53 chimpanzees, currently. The island
became a Chimpanzee sanctuary way back in 1988, and since it has become a famous home to
orphaned chimpanzees, including those seized from international animal pet traffickers. Ngamba
Island Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (Chimpanzee trust) is the lead NGO responsible for
saving and conserving most vulnerable chimpanzees in Uganda. The NGO’s good work has resulted
into increased Chimpanzee trekking at Ngamba Island occurs throughout the year. Tourists may chose between half day (at USD 100.00) or full day (at USD 250.00) Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
How does a One day Ngamba Active Chimpanzee habituation Experience- in Uganda look like?
Uganda has many wonderful sites, with 97% chances of trekking Chimpanzees, successfully. Some of the country’s popular destinations for Chimpanzee trekking and watching are closer to the country’s capital city, Kampala, while other destinations are between (3 to 8) hours drive, for a distance between 230kms to 379kms from Kampala city, partly, on smooth paved road, and rough murram road. Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary on L.Victoria is one of the country’s chimpanzee destinations, located nearer to Entebbe airport and Kampala city.
One day Active Chimpanzee Safari and tour at Ngamba – Entebbe in Uganda.
From Kampala city, embark on your first transfer to Nakiwogo landing site dock on Lake Victoria, 45 minutes drive (37kms)along Entebbe Express highway to Nakiwogo dock. At Nakiwogo dock, embark on another transfer, to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, using a 45 minutes speed boat or a 90 minutes motorized canoe, organized by the Chimpanzee sanctuary. Group tours for Habituated Chimpanzee experience at Ngamba Island is also available at a cost of USD 37.00 per person in a group of of at least eight people.
Tourists interested in half day-morning chimpanzee trekking are advised to reach the island at 7:00am
While those interested in half day -afternoon chimpanzee trekking should report at 11:00am