Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale National Park
Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale National Park is the most known activity in kibale national park and it is also the most booked activity in Kibale national park. A lot of authors tend to mistake chimpanzee tracking with chimpanzee trekking activities. However, the two activities are perfectly antonymous even though they can also be done on the same day. Chimpanzee tracking involves trying to find the chimpanzee group to be studied, whereas, chimpanzee trekking is following the chimpanzee while studying their different behaviors. It is good to define chimpanzee trekking as part of the chimpanzee habituation process. However, both the activities are understandable by the travelers when choosing the activities to add in the kibale national park safari itinerary.
Chimpanzee tracking
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale national park starts at Kanyanchu visitor center found in the northern part of the park. The northern part of kibale national park is the best for chimpanzee tracking activities because it is a densely forested area. The chimpanzee community in Kanyanchu is quite a big one and also habituated to offer you the best experience. The habituated chimpanzees get used to the human visits, this makes them less reactive to the encounter of visitors, thus rewarding you with quality time to intimately learn about the chimpanzees for the one-hour duration recommended.
Kibale Chimpanzee tracking at Kanyanchu starts early in the morning at around 6 am. Kanyanchu is where the visitor center is located, and it is also the starting point for chimpanzee tracking and other forest activities. A group of 6 people gathers at Kanyanchu for briefing before they hit the forest to track for the chimpanzees. The group is escorted by two guides who help track the chimpanzees to where they might have nested for the night. Then the visitors follow that particular group of chimpanzees as they go on with their activities, like hunting for food mating and other interesting behaviors of these primates.
The chimpanzees are the closest apes to humans; they share about 98% of the human genetic composition. The chimpanzees will surprise you with their social habits such as communication, hunting habits and how they use different tools to get what to eat. This is very much related to human ways of daily living. The chimpanzees also communicate using signs and gestures almost similar to the ones we use. The one-hour interaction with the chimpanzees in kibale national park will open for you a door to understanding the mutuality of nature.
Rules for chimpanzee tracking in kibale national park
You should always keep in mind that despite the beauty of the forest, it’s a jungle and hosts a lot of wild creatures. Chimpanzee tracking in kibale national park will give you the best experience if you bow down and obey the forest rules and regulations during the tracking activity. The chimpanzees might be quite charming and the baby chimpanzees are really adorable, but they are also wild animals who are not so much familiar to human ways. Therefore, it is good to keep a safe distance when tracking the chimpanzees.
The sick people are not allowed to participate in the chimpanzee tracking activity in kibale national park. The chimpanzees, just like humans, are vulnerable to contagious infections like cough and influenza and other diseases. Therefore to promote the progressive and sustainable chimpanzee development, the sick people are all restricted from participating in chimpanzee tracking in kibale national park.
Strictly a group of maximum 6 people are allowed to do chimpanzee tracking in kibale national park. This is done to reduce the pressure of many people that would be impacted onto the chimpanzees and their habitat as well. Most of the rules for chimpanzee tracking in kibale national park are aiming at conservation of the wildlife.
Always remember to stay with your group during chimpanzee tracking in kibale national park. This is one of the rules concerning your protection, kibale national park harbors a lot of other wildlife besides the chimpanzees such as leopards and cerval cats, therefore, and you need to take hid for your safety. Also, do not litter in the national park, and do not eat in front of the chimpanzees and also never feed them with any foodstuff because you might alternate their feeding habits.
Chimpanzee tracking permits
The kibale national park chimpanzee tracking permits are issued by the Uganda wildlife authority. Chimpanzee tracking in kibale national park is such a completive and competitive activity, therefore its better if you book for your chimpanzee tracking in time to avoid conveniences. In the dry season, which is also the peak tourism season, kibale national park receives a lot of visitors. Only two groups of 6 people are allowed to track the chimpanzees in a day or two shifts of two people per day.
The chimpanzee tracking permits in kibale national parks are booked at 150US$ per person, however, children below the age of 12 years are not allowed to participate in chimpanzee tracking. But, they can enjoy the children’s activities in kibale national park, such as nature walks where they can see several monkey species and other forest life-like plants and birds.
The chimpanzees in kibale national park have been tracked since 1993 and this has been taking place in Kanyanchu mainly. Therefore the chance of locating the chimpanzees in Kanyanchu is easier than in any other part of Kibale forest national park, also the Kanyanchu chimpanzee community is habituated for over 25year, thus making a 90% chance to enjoy the time of interaction with the chimpanzees. Remember to do advance booking for your chimpanzee tracking permit in kibale national park any time of the year to avoid inconveniences.
