Fun facts about chimpanzee trekking
Fun facts about chimpanzee trekking: Chimpanzee trekking is an activity of going into the tropical forest to look for the unique primates of the chimpanzees. The chimpanzee trekking safaris are some of the most popular safaris in the East African region just only beaten by mountain gorilla trekking and the wildebeest migration. Because of their popularity, one wonders what is it about them that makes them popular.
Well, you are in luck because in this article we shed some light on the fun facts of chimpanzee trekking, especially in the East African region.
Chimpanzee trekking is usually done in tropical forests because that’s where the chimpanzees stay and go about their daily activities. Some people have asked before if you can find chimps anywhere else, but unfortunately no, they are only found in tropical forests and the zoo probably. Their food and shelter are in the forest, so it’s only fair that they stay in the forest.
The chimps are usually confused to be mountain gorillas, they are quite similar in appearance and being because they are all primates and with about 98% of their genetic makeup similar to that of humans. So, you will find in most cases that the chimps do things like the gorillas and sightly look alike. However, you should know, that these are two different primate species, the chimps are smaller than the gorillas and live in lower altitudes among other differences.
On a chimpanzee trekking experience, you have to book your trekking tickets at least a week or a couple of days in advance, to allow the parks to prepare and organize for you. The trekking permits cost different for every chimpanzee habitat so consult with your tour operator in advance.
The chimpanzee trekking experience takes about 4 to 6 hours in the forest with one hour spent with the chimpanzees.
Like the mountain gorilla trekking, for a chimpanzee trekking experience, you will have a briefing at the start and then enter the forest.
Chimpanzee trekking is done in the forest as stated, so you need to have gear that is made for forest trekking like hiking gear and boats, long sleeved shirts, gloves and other things. Your tour operator can advise on what.
Chimpanzee trekking experiences are less hectic than gorilla trekking because they are done in lower altitudes of the forests.
Chimpanzees and gorillas don’t stay in the same forests, so you will not see gorillas on that same trek.
The beauty of chimpanzee trekking is that it takes a few hours then you can use the rest of the day for other activities.
Other activities done with chimpanzee trekking are nature walks, bird watching, cycling or biking, and community visits among other things.
Chimpanzee trekking in East Africa is done in Rwanda at Nyungwe National Park, in some parts of Tanzania and in Uganda the primate capital at Kibaale National Park, Kyambura Gorge, Budongo Forest and other locations.
There are more fun facts you can find out from your tour operator or wildlife authority, however, we feel these are a must know as you plan to go for your chimpanzee safari.
