Chimp Trekking in Kibale Forest
One of the best animal encounters in Africa is chimpanzee trekking, which is all too frequently eclipsed by gorilla trekking in Uganda. Many tourists, including members of Adventure in the wild safaris team, rank it higher than gorilla trekking.
Kibale National Park offers two hikes every day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The forest’s topography is not exceptionally difficult, especially when compared to the frequently difficult terrain of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s gorilla trekking. As a result, individuals who aren’t up for strenuous hiking can enjoy the walk more easily. A normal journey will last around three hours, which includes an hour spent with the chimpanzees.
What Happens During Chimp Trekking In Kibale
The park rangers provide a briefing before the hike begins. The route you’ll be travelling, the safety measures, and additional information on chimpanzees and their behavior in the wild will all be covered.
Then you’ll set out into the forest in search of a habituated population of chimpanzees—chimps that are used to being around people. You won’t have to trek as far to find your first troop swinging in the trees above because these groupings don’t typically retreat too far into the forest.
After making eye contact, you can observe their behavior for an hour while your trekking guides explain more about what you are witnessing and how the chimps are behaving.
Organizing Chimp Trek In Kibale Forest
Chimpanzee trek participants must be at least 15 years old, and there is a maximum of six people per group. At the time of writing, a chimpanzee trek permit costs $200 and includes the cost of park admission. Due to the great demand, permits must be reserved far in advance.
Treks are feasible throughout the year, in both the rainier peak seasons of June to August and December to February as well as in the other slower but wetter months.
You can participate in a chimpanzee habituation experience, which gives you the option to spend a half-day or full-day with these amazing primates, if you’d want to spend more time with them than simply an hour.
Kibale Chimpanzee Project
The Kibale Chimpanzee Project, founded in 1987 by Dr. Richard Wrangham, has spent more than 30 years researching wild chimpanzees in Uganda.
The committed team at KCP investigates the physiology, ecology, and behavior of wild chimpanzees. The team keeps track of information on chimpanzee social behavior, party makeup, roaming, eating, and health every day. This database has given researchers ground-breaking insights into the conservation of chimpanzees, the diversity of primate behavior, and human evolutionary ecology.
Snares that can seriously harm chimpanzees are removed by the KCP in collaboration with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Even though Kibale is a protected area, unlawful poaching is nevertheless widespread.
Each chimpanzee is known by name and face to the researchers. Characters in the group include Outamba, a very successful mother in her thirties, and Lanjo, a young adult guy in his prime.