Chimpanzee Safaris in Uganda
Chimpanzee safaris in Uganda are one of the best-booked tourism items after gorilla trekking. The chimpanzees can be found in a number of destinations in Uganda, however, kibale national park is the best chimpanzee trekking and habituation destination in Uganda. Uganda is blessed to be among the few countries in Africa that still having chimpanzees in their jungles.
Before, the chimpanzees used to be concentrated in West Africa and central African large tropical forests. However, with the movement of urbanization and industrialization, a lot of forests have been cleared forcing a lot of chimpanzees to migrate. Other chimpanzees have been taken to Europe for laboratory research purposes, and other in the private zoos in South America and others as pets. All these factors have led to a reduction of chimpanzees from the jungles of Africa.
Chimpanzee safaris in Uganda
Most chimpanzee safaris in Uganda are the trekking safaris in the tropical forest in the countryside of Uganda. However, also chimpanzee habituation is a thrilling activity that you can, perhaps, add to your chimpanzee safari in Uganda. Chimpanzee trekking is in fact the best activity for your primate safari in Uganda.
Chimpanzee safaris in Uganda can be done in a number of destinations around the country. Kibale national park is one of the best chimpanzee destinations in Uganda and, perhaps east Africa as a whole. Kibale national park is a home for over 1500 chimpanzees some of which are even habituated chimpanzees, for example, the chimpanzee community at Kanyanchu has been habituated for over 25 years and it the best for chimpanzee trekking in kibale national park.
You can also enjoy your chimpanzee safaris from kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park. Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the best and most visited national parks in Uganda, it is a home for nature’s most diverse wildlife, including the wild animals, birds, primates, and vegetation like savannah, and the tropical forest in kyambura. Kyambura gorge is a stretch of a tropical rain forest in the vast savannah grassland. The gorge harbors a habituated chimpanzee family although it is a mobile one.
kalinzu forest reserve along Mbarara – Kasese highway is yet another destination for chimpanzee tracking safaris in Uganda. Kalinzu forest is characterized by a tropical forest in which the chimpanzees dwell. Kalinzu is also a home for other primates including monkeys and other nocturnal primates like the pottos and bush babies among others.
For the safaris to Murchison falls national park, you can have chimpanzee safaris in Budongo forest which is located in the southern part of Murchison falls national park. You can also enjoy the chimpanzee trekking in kaniyo pabidi in Murchison falls national park. Budongo is the largest natural tropical forest and is such a biodiverse section in the pearl of Africa.
Time for chimpanzee safaris in Uganda
The best time to plan your chimpanzee safaris in Uganda is the dry season which is also the peak season for tourism in Uganda. The dry season in Uganda is experienced in the months of December, through January to February and July through August to September. Since chimpanzee trekking involves moving long distances in the forest to track the chimpanzees, the dry season is, therefore, the best time since it finds the trails dry and the forests clear enough for trapping the chimpanzees.
However, chimpanzee habituation cannot be done in the busiest season of the year, so the wet season is best for the chimpanzee habituation safaris in Uganda. Chimpanzee habituation involves tracking the chimpanzees from when they rise up from their nests to the time they build their nests in the evening. Therefore, the wet season is favorable for such sensitive chimpanzee activities in Uganda.
Plus, the wet season gives you free time to enjoy chimpanzee trekking at a low cost. The Uganda wildlife authority tends to discount the permits for chimpanzee trekking in the wet season. Also, the accommodation facilities that stay open in the wet season, discount their room rates to attract visitors, therefore, the wet season is the best season to plan your budget chimpanzee safari in Uganda.
Tour consultants
Uganda has a number of tour and travel consultants to help you plan a successful chimpanzee safari. You can always trust your tour consultant and them him/her to get for you the chimpanzee trekking or habituation permit in advance to avoid inconveniences. The local tour consultants are the best since they know all the information on the ground and can be reliable when you are planning a chimpanzee safari to Uganda.
Besides the real activity of chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation, you can use the chance to enjoy the nature walks in the forest where you can see a number of other forest creatures like monkeys and birds, kyambura gorge is a home for over 200 bird species which you can supplement on your chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park. kibale national park harbors other 12 primate species and over 370 bird species plus mammals like buffaloes, elephants, leopards among others that roam in the forest.
Therefore chimpanzee safaris in Uganda are a jackpot for you to see a lot of other wildlife in the tropical forests with in the country such as kyambura gorge, kaniyo pabidi and Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park, kibale national park, kalinzu forest reserve in Kasese and Mgahinga national park among others. Always remember to add chimpanzee safaris on your Ugandan safari plan.
