Chimpanzee Habituation in Kibale National Park

Chimpanzee Habituation in Kibale National Park : Chimpanzee habituation is one of the most done activities in Kibale National Park which is done in the process of training chimpanzees to get used to human eye contact and process can take about 2 to 3 years under training before they are allowed to be opened for tourism. Uganda has about 5,000 individuals of chimpanzees and about 1,500 chimpanzees are found in Kibale Forest National Park.  Kibale National Park is located in the western Uganda region in the Kabarole district, approximately a 5 to 6 hours drive from Kampala /Entebbe. The park is a great location to do chimpanzee trekking along with chimp habituation.

Chimpanzee habituation is an exciting experience, unlike chimpanzee trekking where visitors are given less time to stay with chimps compared to Chimp habituation that offers long time to stay with habituated chimps ‘’4 hours’’  and chimpanzee trekking spend only an hour with the primate species once they encounter them.

The Chimpanzee habituation experience is a full-day life-changing activity that starts early in the morning with a briefing at the Kanchunchu center, After then, head out to look for them in their natural habitat. Once you locate them 4 hours are allowed to spend with you as you learn how they feed, play, hunt, and survive in the forest. After trekking hike back to the starting point center to drive back to the lodge.

What is the cost of a Chimpanzee Habituation Experience?

Chimpanzee habituation experience requires a valid permit which can be purchased at ‘’UWA’’ Uganda Wildlife Authority Office at USD250 per person per day for foreign nonresidents and USD200 for foreign residents.

Travelers planning to enjoy this chimpanzee habituation activity, you\’re advised to book permits in advance especially if you’re traveling in dry /peak season from June to September and December to February.  You are recommended to book your permits at least 3 months before your date of travel. Book your chimpanzee habituation permit through the Uganda Wildlife Authority office or with help of reliable tour operators who will help you to book your accommodation, permits, transport, and meals.

Apart from doing chimpanzee habituation or chimpanzee trekking, you can do other activities like Bird watching, Nature walks, Uganda Cultural tours and Nocturnal walks among others

Other animal species to see on safari in Kibale National Park includes; bush pigs, Sitatunga, golden cats, buffaloes, warthogs, African palm civet, lions, leopards, serval cat, marsh mongoose, Alexander’s cusimanse, bushbuck, black and white colobus, blue monkeys, red colobus monkeys, baboons among others. The park is also home to birders because it hosts various beautiful bird species including; Black bee-eater, Brown-throated wattle eye, Black and white flycatcher, Weaver birds, Brown crowned Tcharge, Yellow-billed barbet, Tailed ant thrush, Purple breasted sunbird, White-breasted Negrofinch, Hornbills, Little Green Bull, Spotted barbet, White-spotted flutt tail many more.

Where to stay while on safari to Kibale National Park?

There are no worries about where to stay while on safari in Kibale National Park because the park has several excellent accommodation facilities furnished with comfortable amenities that stuns tourists, they range from luxury, Mid-range, and Budget accommodation such as; Primate Lodge, Sebitoli Camping ground, Nyinabulitwa resort and safari camp, Kibale safari lodge, Crater valley Kibale lakeside resort, Chimp’s nest Kibale safari lodge, Safari hotel Bigondi among others.

Getting there;

Kibale National Park is located in western region of Uganda, approximately 300 kilometers driving takes 5 to 6 hours by road.  Alternatively, visitors can decide to use air transport with domestic flights ‘’Aerolink or Bar Aviation’’ from Entebbe International Airport and Kajjansi Airstrip which is found a few kilometers away from Kampala capital city of Uganda to land at Kasese Airstrip ‘’1:20hours by air’’.