Chimpanzee Tracking in Uganda

CHIMPANZEE TRACKING IN UGANDA

In Uganda, Chimpanzee tracking can be explored from either Queen Elizabeth National Park or Kibale National Park .

The chimpanzee, shares at least 94% of its DNA with humans. Sociable, communicative and intelligent, one of the chimp’s most astonishing traits is its ability to use tools such as rocks for smashing nuts, empty pods for scooping water and sticks for drawing termites from their nests. As these skills are passed from generation to generation, it has been observed that different troops are specialists in different tasks, depending on their habitat and diet. Chimpanzees live in communities containing 10 to 100 members. They hold hands, kiss, groom each other and babysit for each other’s offspring - young chimps do not become independent until around the age of four. But they can also be aggressive and unfriendly, particularly towards unrelated individuals. Though they spend a lot of time on the ground, chimpanzees usually eat and sleep in trees. Their varied diet includes leaves, fruit, flowers and seeds.

1. CHIMPANZEE TRACKING IN KIBALE NATIONAL PARK
Kibale’s most popular activity is the Kanyanchu Primate Walk. Thirteen species can be sought, and a good variety of diurnal monkeys invariably encountered, but the stars of this trail are the chimpanzees. Kanyanchu’s chimps have been tracked since 1993 and the chances of locating them are excellent. Guided walks start at 8am and 2pm and last an average of three hours, depending on various factors. The perennially popular primate walk provides the chance to observe chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Kanyanchu’s groups are accustomed to human presence – some have been observed for over 25 years – and the chance of locating them is over 90%. Walks leave Kanyanchu Visitor Centre at 08.00, 11.00 and 14.00 and last between 2-5 hours. Early arrival to allow for registration and briefing is recommended. Contact time with chimpanzees is limited to one hour; group size is limited to six visitors; participants must be aged 16 or over. Advance booking is essential.

Chimpanzee habituation experience
The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX) enables visitors to accompany researchers and habituators into the forest. The chimpanzee groups involved are less accustomed to human presence than those visited on the Primate Walk and following and viewing them is both exciting and challenging. Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX) is available on a full or half day basis starting and advance booking for this activity is required. Early visitors can watch chimps leaving their overnight nests between 6:00 - 6:30am before feeding, copulating, hunting, breastfeeding, resting, patrolling and displaying until it is time to build new nests around 7pm.

2. CHIMPANZEE TRACKING IN QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
The Kyambura Gorge experience is more than discovering chimpanzees in their natural environment: it teaches visitors about the ecosystems of Kyambura Gorge’s atmospheric “underground” rainforest, including vegetation types; bird identification and behavior; and chimp and monkey ecology.

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