Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Kibale national park

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Kibale national park : Kibale forest national park is known as the primate capital which is located in western part of Uganda and it’s commonly known for harboring 13 primate species and about 1,500 chimpanzees , other primates like black and white colobus monkeys , vervet monkeys , grey cheeked mangabey , red tailed monkeys , blue monkeys , olive baboons among others .

Chimpanzee habituation experience is the process where the wild chimpanzees are trained to be around the presence of human beings. Chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda is only done in Kibale forest national park and it takes a period of 2 to 3 years to be complete and involves a team of researchers, scientists, park rangers, trackers and park guides .

Chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale national park starts very early in the morning with the briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations at the headquarters . After the briefing, you are then allocated an experienced park guide and park rangers then you will start moving deeper into the forest. During the habituation experience, you will be able to view primates like grey cheeked mangabey , black and white colobus monkeys , red tailed monkeys , view different tree species , see different bad spices . Once the chimpanzees are found, you will be able to spend hours with them in their natural habitats where you will learn their behaviors, learn how to differentiate chimpanzees , watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding , breasting feeding , hunting , resting and then you can take pictures of chimpanzee .

Cost of a Chimpanzee Habituation Experience

A chimpanzee habituation permit is a legal document that can be issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority to

any visitors above the age of 15years and can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority or through a trusted tour operator. When booking with a tour operator, you will contact the tour company with details of your names , date , month and year you wish to engage in the habituation experience .    

 A chimpanzee habituation permit in Kibale forest national park costs 250 USD per person for foreign nonresident , 200 USD per person for foreign residents and 200,000 UGX per person for East African citizens . The rates include 4 hours in the presence of chimpanzee , services of a park guide , entrance fee and security . It is advisable to book for the permit 3 to 6 months in advance before the actual date because they are few and usually get sold out quickly .

Best time for Chimpanzee habituation 

Chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda can be done anytime throughout the year though the best period is during the wet seasons in the months of March to May and October to November because during this period there is plenty of food for the chimpanzees unlike the dry season where the chimpanzees move deeper in the forest to look for food hence hard to track .

What to park for Chimpanzee habituation

There are a number of essential items that you should pack for your chimpanzee habituation safari in kibale forest national park for example long sleeved shirt and trouser to keep you warm and protect your skin from thorny bushes , insect repellent to protect you from biting insects , waterproof rain jacket to protect you from rainfall as kibale forest national park is a tropical rainforest hence it can rain at anytime , warm sweater , hiking shoes to keep your feet dry and protect your ankles , long cotton socks , bottled drinking water , camera and extra batteries to take photos and record videos , a pair binoculars , walking stick to give you support , waterproof back bag among others .