Where to track chimpanzees in Uganda: Uganda’s tropical forests of the Albertine Rift Valley are home to the eastern chimpanzee, a subspecies of the common chimpanzee famous for being man’s closest relative, sharing almost 98% of DNA. With over 5,000 chimpanzees, Uganda is one of the best places to track chimpanzees in their natural habitat. There are 4 places to track chimpanzees in Uganda, which include Kibale Forest National Park, Kyambura Gorge, Budongo, and Kalinzu Central Forest Reserves.
These destinations can suit different safari itineraries, making it easy to combine chimps with gorilla trekking and game viewing in the savanna national parks. With expert Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers, the chimpanzee tracking success rate is high. Chimp tracking can be challenging due to the terrain and the fact that chimps tend to be active, often climbing high in tree canopies.
Kibale Forest National Park
The best place to track chimpanzees in Uganda is Kibale Forest National Park. Known as the “Primate Capital of the World,” the protected area is famous for harboring over 1,500 chimpanzees and 12 primate species, including black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and red colobus monkeys. The park stands out for offering two unique experiences to observe chimps, which include chimpanzee tracking and a chimpanzee habituation experience.
Chimpanzee tracking offers an opportunity to spend 1 hour observing a habituated troop. This experience has morning tracking sessions beginning at 8:00 AM and afternoon tracking sessions at 2:00 PM daily. Morning sessions are ideal for encountering chimps actively feeding, and sometimes they may be seen hunting. Afternoon sessions with the right timing can lead you to encounter the primates on the ground.
Chimpanzee habituation experience
The habituation experience is both educational and thrilling, as it involves spending almost a full day in the forest tracking a semi-habituated troop. It is an in-depth experience to witness and learn the complex social behavior, playful interactions, and remarkable intelligence of chimpanzees. Visitors are accompanied by rangers, researchers, and habituators, and in the process, you get to learn complexity.
Kibale National Park is well developed in terms of tourism infrastructure, with two different locations where chimp tracking is conducted. The main tracking center at Kanyanchu serves as the park headquarters where both experiences are done. The second tracking location is Bulaiga in the northern part of the park.
Budongo Forest Reserve
Located within Murchison Falls Conservation Area, Budongo Central Forest Reserve, an 825 sq. km natural forest known for its largest mahogany trees, is home to over 700 chimpanzees. There’s a well-established chimpanzee research and habituation program at Budongo, where the Jane Goodall Institute, in partnership with Budongo Eco-Lodge and Budongo Conservation Field Station, has habituated a community of chimpanzees at the Kaniyo Pabidi Ecotourism site. The Budongo chimpanzee community is one of the largest, with over 70 individuals. Tracking is led by experienced UWA rangers, and Budongo also has a high chimp tracking success rate.
The towering mahogany trees create a spectacular environment, making Budongo a must-visit gem for a keen photographer. In addition to chimps, Budongo Forest is rich in biodiversity, including over 300 species of butterflies, 130 moths, and 360 birds. The Budongo Royal Mile Walk is the best trail to experience the wonders of the forest. Budongo Forest is ideal for those intending to track chimps, along with Murchison Falls National Park safaris, including game drives, boat safaris, and shoebill tracking downstream in the Nile-Albert delta.
Kyambura Gorge
A lush tropical forest thrives 100 meters deep underground in a gorge that was formed due to secondary faulting and erosion of the Kyambura River, which flows into the Kazinga Channel. The Kyambura Gorge forest is inhabited by a community of 30 chimpanzees, and tracking them is such a unique experience. Hiking into the steep-sided gorge with echoes of the river flow makes Kyambura Gorge the most unique chimpanzee tracking experience in Uganda, with a 50-70% chance to see the primates. The Kyambura chimp population is isolated, given that chimps stay only in the gorge.
Kalinzu Central Forest Reserve
Spanning 147 sq. km, Kalinzu Forest Reserve sits on the rift valley escarpment within Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area. The dense tropical forest is home to over 300 chimpanzees, of which a community of approximately 50 individuals is habituated for tourism, managed by the National Forestry Authority in partnership with UWA. Kalinzu is off the beaten path and ideal for those intending to track chimps in Uganda on a budget safari. Kalinzu Forest delivers a high chimp tracking success rate affordably, with the Kalinzu chimp permit cost being $50 per person.
Best time for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda
The dry season from June to September and December to February is the best time to track chimps in Uganda. Forest trails are relatively dry due to little or no rainfall. However, trekking can be challenging depending on the nature of the terrain. Chimp tracking can also be done during the wet season from March to May and October to November. Due to fewer tourists, this season can make for an affordable Uganda safari. The landscape is green and ideal for keen photographers.
What to pack for chimpanzee trekking
Given that chimp tracking can be challenging due to the nature of the terrain, be sure to pack sturdy hiking boots, long-sleeved shirts and trousers, gloves, a hat, and a rain jacket. Other items to pack include insect repellent, sunscreen, and a camera.
Booking for chimpanzee permits
Chimpanzee tracking permits are issued by UWA and available for booking through a genuine tour operator. Booking should be done at least 2-3 months in advance for those intending to visit Uganda during the high season. The chimp permit cost is $250 for chimpanzee tracking and $300 for the habituation experience; $130 is for Budongo Forest, $100 for Kyambura Gorge, and $50 for Kalinzu Forest.