Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Kibale Forest

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Kibale National Park

Chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale national park; chimpanzee habituation is an exciting process where the wild chimpanzees are trained to get used to human beings for trekking. Chimpanzee habituation process takes a period of 2 to 3 years to be complete and it involves a team of researchers, scientists, park rangers, trackers, park guides among others.

Kibale national park offers half day and full day chimpanzee habituation experience and each session starts very early in the morning at around 6:00am with a briefing at the Kanyachu park headquarters about the rules, regulations and expectations. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest with a team of researchers, and park guides. During trekking you will be able to have an encounter with other primate species such as grey cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, view some mammal species, variety of bird species, plant and tree species, beautiful butterflies among others. Once the chimpanzees under habituation process are found you will be allowed to spend four hours with the chimpanzees in the natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, lifestyle, unique features, take photos, watch chimpanzees de-nesting, hunting, feeding, patrolling, breastfeeding, copulating and building their nests for the night. 

Cost of a chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale national park

A chimpanzee habituation permit is a legal document issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority to any visitor above the age of 15 years allowing him or her to engage in the chimpanzee habituation experience. A chimpanzee habituation permit in Kibale forest national park costs USD 250 per person for foreign non residents, USD 250 per person for Foresign residents and UGX 150,000 per person for East African citizens. The rates include 4 hours in the presence of the chimpanzees, services of a park guide, entrance fees and security. Chimpanzee habituation permits in Kibale national park should however be booked 3 to 6 months in advance before the trekking date because they are few, competitive and usually get sold out quickly therefore in order to avoid last minute disappointments you are required to book in advance.

A chimpanzee habituation permit in Kibale national park can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority or through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris. When booking through a tour operator you will contact the company with details of your names, date, month and year when you wish to engage in the habituation experience. We will later check for permit availability and once there are permits available you will be asked to make a deposit. Once we receive the money we will purchase the chimpanzee habituation permit on your behalf and send you a scanned receipt as confirmation.

Best time to go for chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale national park

Chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale national park can be done anytime throughout the year though the best period is during the wet season also known as the low season in the months of March, April, may and November. During the wet season there is less congestion in the park and plenty of food therefore locating them will be easy compared to the dry season where the chimpanzees move deep into the forest in search of food.

Where to stay during the chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale national park

There are a wide range of accommodation facilities in Kibale national park where you can stay during your chimpanzee habituation experience such as Ndali Kasenda lodge, Primate Lodge Kibale, Chimps Nest, Kanyachu River Camp, Rwenzori Guest House, Nyankuruba Nature Reserve and Community Campsite, Chimpanzee Forest Guest House, Kibale Forest Camp, Kyaninga Lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge, Rwetera Game Park, Isunga Lodge, Nyinabulitwa Country Resort, Crater Safari Lodge, Mountain of the Moon Hotel among others.

How to get to Kibale national park

Kibale national park is located in western part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Kampala via Mubende-Fort Portal road or Mbarara, Kamwenge road to the park headquarters which takes about 5 to 6 hours drive in a 4WD safari vehicle.

Apart from chimpanzee habituation experience Kibale national park offers other interesting activities like chimpanzee trekking, guided nature walks, bird watching, bush craft children activities among others. For more information about chimpanzee habituation experience you can contact us on Achieve Global Safaris.