Chimpanzee Habituation in Kibale National Park

Chimpanzee habituation in Kibale National Park: What is chimpanzee habituation – Kibale? When it comes to primate adventures, Kibale National Park is one destination that guarantees all Uganda safari travelers experiences of a lifetime. The vast tropical forest protected area offers more than normal chimpanzee trekking.

Uganda safari tour to Kibale offers nature lovers a remarkable opportunity to indulge in a life-changing chimpanzee habituation experience. Chimpanzee habituation is a gradual process in which chimpanzees are initiated to get used to human presence. It is a process that is conducted for a period of about 2 years, and a chimpanzee community can be opened for chimpanzee trekking or tourism.

Kibale Chimpanzee habituation 

Kibale Chimpanzee habituation

During chimpanzee habituation, trackers or park rangers, and conservations spend a long day following semi-habituated chimpanzee communities while taking note of their daily behaviors and naming them. Guests especially researchers/scientists join the team of Kibale National Park to explore more about these unique apes till they make new nests to retire for the night. With full/half day guaranteed of you to spend with chimpanzees, visitors also have plenty of time to take the best of their pictures of these apes while in the wild.

Why is chimpanzee habituation different from chimpanzee tracking?

Chimpanzee habituation allows visitors to spend more time with chimpanzees than if they engaged in the normal chimpanzee trek. During habituation experience, visitors spend a full day or half day in the wild following chimpanzees and there is adequate time to get up close and personal with these interesting apes.

Normal chimpanzee trekking lasts for 2-4 hours and there are two phases for guests to realize their dream- in the morning and afternoon. Unlike chimpanzee habituation, chimpanzee tracking guarantees only one hour for visitors to enjoy a close encounter with chimpanzees, particularly, tourists who visit the already habituated chimpanzee community.

Beyond chimpanzees, guests also stand a chance to encounter other faunal and floral species. 13 primate species are inhabited within Kibale Forest and these include 1500 chimpanzees plus hundreds of black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, olive baboons, mangabeys, pottos, bush babies. These diverse primates share the same habitat with other numerous wildlife including forest elephants, buffaloes, bush pigs, plus over 375 bird species.

The park’s interesting bird species to look up to include the African green-breasted pitta, African emerald cuckoo, Dusky crimson wing, Abyssinian ground thrush, Little greenbul, Blue-throated rollers, Barn swallow, Black-eared ground thrush, Yellow-spotted nicator, Black-capped apalis, African dusky flycatchers, Brown-eared woodpeckers, Black-crowned tchagra, African green pigeon, Black headed oriole, White shrike flycatchers, Cameroon somber greenbul, papyrus gonoleks, white collared olive, papyrus canary and more.

Chimpanzee at Kibale National Park

Chimpanzees in Kibale forest National Park

How much is a chimpanzee habituation experience (CHEX) permit?

Full-day chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale requires all participants to have valid permits. Each of the permits costs USD250 for foreign nonresidents, USD200 for foreign residents and shs. 200,000 for East African citizen. The cost of permits covers guide fee, park entrance fees for 6 hours. Obtaining your chimpanzee habituation permit is possible via info@adventureugandasafaris.com or info@silverbackgorillatour.com or call +256 414 231 454 | +256 772 636 412.

Securing a chimpanzee habituation permit for Kibale is a great opportunity not only for you to explore more about chimpanzees, but it is also one way that you can support chimpanzees and other wildlife protection. Due to high demand, we recommend that you make a booking of your chimpanzee habituation permit early before actual date of visiting Kibale National Park.

Where else can I go for chimpanzee habituation in Uganda?

Budongo Forest

Located in far Northwestern Uganda straddles a verdant Budongo Forest, home to over 800 chimpanzees. The lush Budongo Forest isn’t only visited by normal chimpanzees, but also for long-day chimpanzee habituation experiences.

What to carry for chimpanzee habituation safari

Here is the list of essentials you should consider packing for chimpanzee habituation experience;

  • Waterproof hiking boots
  • Daypack
  • Enough bottled drinking water
  • First aid kit
  • Snacks
  • Camera -free of flashlight
  • Long trousers
  • Sweater
  • Rain jacket
  • Insect repellent

Best time to travel for chimpanzee habituation?

Kibale Forest National Park is open for chimpanzee habituation all year round, but the most preferred time is March, April, May, and November -off-season or months of the year. Fewer visitors travel during these months and it allows you to enjoy your habituation and experience less of congestion. The dry season is ideal because it is when the park records no or fewer spots of rain and the ground is drier unlike the off-season/months/rainy season. Note, full-day chimpanzee habituation begins at 6:00 am till 7:00 pm when chimpanzees construct nests for overnight stay.

Where to stay at Kibale

  • Carter Safari Lodge
  • Primate Lodge
  • Chimpundu Lodge
  • Ndali Lodge
  • Papaya Lake Lodge
  • Kyaninga Lodge
  • Isunga Lodge

Getting to Kibale National Park for chimpanzee

Kibale National Park is accessible for chimpanzee habituation experience from Kampala via Mityana-Mubende-Fort Portal, about 5-6 hours’ drive. En-route, guests can make a stopover at Fort Portal, a recognized tourism city and there is plenty to explore here as well. You can visit the Toro palace to have insight about Batooro cultures, dances, traditions, etc; visit Amabere caves, go biking or cycling tours in and around the city, crater tours and more.