Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is the best place for chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda. Known as the World’s primate Capital, Kibale National Park is located in the Kabarole and Kamwenge Districts West of Uganda. The country has a total population of 4,950 chimpanzees, 1500 of which are found in Kibale National Park. Uganda is popularly known for being a destination for chimpanzee habituation and trekking experiences. Kibale National Park is the only location in Uganda that provides a chance to do chimpanzee habituation.
What exactly is Chimpanzee habituation?
Chimpanzee habituation is training wild Chimpanzees to become accustomed to human presence in their environment through continuous visits led by experienced researchers and park guides. This process also prepares them for daily trekking. According to the Wildlife Conservation Society, it can take up to two years for chimpanzees to become completely familiar with people in their environment. Chimpanzees in the wild will usually flee or treat humans suspiciously once they meet.
Unlike the normal chimpanzee tracking where tourists are given 3-4 hours with the primates, during habituation visitors spend the entire day or 6 hours following these amazing creatures. The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience is more challenging with visitors participating in all habituation-related activities. Visitors must get up before dawn to meet the guides and search for wild chimps before they leave their nests. Visitors will be able to observe them as they wake up and prepare for the day’s activities such as feeding, resting, caring for their young, protecting their territories and finally building their nests on top of trees.
The experience lasts all day, and by the end, you should be acquainted with all of the individuals, including their body markings and personalities. The exercise concludes when the primates retire to their nests for the night.
Unfortunately, chimpanzee habituation is only possible in Kibale National Park in Uganda. Chimpanzee habituation permits cost $250 for non-foreign residents and $200 for foreign residents; East African citizens pay 250,000 UGX for this activity. This price is slightly higher than standard chimpanzee trekking, which costs around $200 for foreign non-residents, the experience is its money’s worth.
Booking your permits at least three months before your trip can enable you to enjoy this activity better. Visitors are encouraged to work with a reputable tour operator who will also assist them with arranging their lodging, transportation, and meals.
The best time to do a chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale National Park
This adventure is best carried out during the rainy season because this is when the forest is green and has lots of fruit to feed on therefore they are closer and easier to trek. However, during dry seasons, they move to higher altitude areas in search of food, making it hard to trace them down. Kibale National Park offers the best chimpanzee habituation experience.
Other activities are done in Kibale National Park
Chimpanzee trekking
This activity entails walking through the forests in search of the primates and once tourists find them they get to spend about 3-4 hours with them studying their close behavior to man and also how they socialize and live their day-to-day lives. It is like giving a visit to the different chimpanzee families.
Bird watching in Kibale National Park
Six native bird species, including the dusky crimson wing, black-capped apalis, blue-headed sunbird, collared apalis, red-faced woodland warbler, and purple-breasted sunbird, can be found in this Albertine Rift region.
The blue-breasted kingfisher, black bee-eater, Abyssinian ground thrush, yellow-spotted nicator, little greenbul, black-eared ground thrush, Yellow-rumped tinker bird, and green-breasted pitta are just a few of the unusual birds that may be found in Kibale.
The Bigodi nature walk offers the best option for bird watching on the fringes of Kibale Park, as the swamp alone is home to more than 138 different bird species.
Bigodi Swamp Walk
The swampy region near the jungle known as Bigodi is a favorite destination for visitors while in the national park. This additional walking safari experience shouldn’t be missed by any tourist while here.
The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary marsh is six kilometers away from Kibale National Park’s administrative center. This section of marshy rainforest is known as a sanctuary for birds. Chimpanzee trekking is frequently followed by a trip through Bigodi Swamp. A stroll through the palm- and papyrus-filled wetland takes about two to three hours. Numerous bird species and about five different primates might be seen when out for a walk.
Tour of Crater Lakes
Ndali – Kasenda area near Fort Portal is surrounded by steep-sided volcanoes and contains more than 50 distinct crater lakes. You will be amazed by how they were formed.
If you visit this lovely site, you will have the opportunity to appreciate the distinctive landscape of this area.
