Chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale forest national park : Chimpanzee habituation safari experience is an intriguing and daring activity where visitors look for chimpanzees in the jungle of Kibale National Park and spend four hours with them there. Only in Uganda’s western Kibale Forest National Park may visitors get an experience with chimpanzee habituation. The method of chimpanzee habituation, which takes around two years to complete, involves training wild chimpanzees to become accustomed to human presence for trekking. A whole day is dedicated to the habituation process, which includes a team of researchers, scientists, park rangers, and guides.
The day-long chimpanzee habituation adventure in the Kibale Forest National Park begins early in the morning with a briefing on the rules and regulations to adhere to while carrying out chimpanzee habituation. After receiving a briefing, you will begin your trek through the forest in search of chimpanzees. While on your trek, you will have the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife species, including elephants, buffaloes, primates like the grey-cheeked mangabey, black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, and olive baboons, as well as various bird species. Once the chimpanzees have been located, you will be given four hours to spend with them in their habitat. During this time, you can observe and record their behaviours, take pictures, and watch them go about their daily activities, such as feeding, nursing, grooming young, fighting, hunting, building nests, patrolling, copulating, resting, and more.
Cost of a chimpanzee habituation permit in Kibale forest national park.Â
In the Kibale Forest National Park, chimpanzee habituation permits cost 250 USD for foreign non residents, 250 USD for foreign residents, and 150,000 UGX for East African citizens. A one-day chimpanzee habituation permit allows visitors to spend four hours in the chimpanzees’ presence in their natural habitat.
However, because there are few of them and they typically sell out quickly, especially during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January, and February, it is advisable to reserve a chimpanzee habituation permit in Kibale Forest National Park three to six months before the scheduled trekking date.
How to book a chimpanzee habituation permit in Kibale forest national park.Â
You can either reserve a chimpanzee habituation permit directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) by getting in touch with the organization’s headquarters in Kampala by phone or email to inquire about permit availability. Another option is to make a reservation with a travel agency like Primate Holidays for a chimpanzee habituation permit in Kibale Forest National Park. When making a reservation through a tour operator, please get in touch with us and let us know the dates, month, and year you’d like to participate in an exciting chimpanzee habituation safari adventure. Once we have determined whether permits are available, you will be required to submit a permission deposit. Once we have your payment, we will buy the permit on your behalf and send you a confirmation email with a scanned copy of the receipt.
Best time to go for chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale forest national park.Â
The greatest time to get a close-up encounter with chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park is in the months of March through November, which is also known as the wet season or the low season. Since there is more food available during the low season than during the dry season, when chimpanzees travel deeper into the forest in search of food, there will be less visitors in the park and it will be simpler to spot chimps. Though also chimpanzee habituation can be done during the dry season when the vegetation is the park is thin that makes easy spotting of the chimpanzees, as the trails can be dry and easily passable.
Where to stay in Kibale forest national park.
During your chimpanzee habituation safari, you can stay at one of the several accommodation options in Kibale Forest National Park. The accommodations range from budget, midrange and luxury including Primate Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Kyambura Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, Isunga Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Guest House, Aramaga Rift Valley Lodge, Kanyachu River Camp, Kibale Forest Lodge, Kibale Forest Camp, Chimps Nest, Crater Valley Kibale, Nyinabulitwa Resort and Safari Camp, Mountains of the Moon Hotel, Chimpundu Lodge among others.
How to get to Kibale forest national park.
In order to get to the park headquarters at Kibale Forest National Park, which is in the western portion of Uganda, you must take a five- to six-hours’ drive from Kampala or Entebbe through Mubende, Fort Portal, or Mbarara.
A fantastic experience that you shouldn’t pass up when on safari in Uganda is the chance to get up close and personal with chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park can also be integrated with the habituation safari experience. You can reach out Primate Holidays for more information about our chimpanzee habituation experiences or browse our website for a variety of chimpanzee habituation packages.