Kibale forest national park is extra special because it is one of the few places where visitors can do both chimpanzee trekking and chimpanzee habituation experience. Chimpanzee habituation is the process of making chimpanzees get use to human presence around them and this process takes about two years to make chimpanzees get used. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national parks allows visitors to be with the visitors for an hour with chimpanzees after allocating them.  During this process, tourists get an opportunity to spend the whole day with chimpanzees. Chimpanzee habituation process takes place all year around. The best time for chimpanzee habituation is during rainy season despite the mad and sleeper slopes. However it’s in this rainy season that the forest is green and has a lot of fruits reducing ability of movement of chimpanzees. Tourists can easily allocate chimpanzees without trekking them for long distance.

During dry season, chimpanzees move deep down in the forest to look for food. Although chimpanzee trekking permits can be got on the day of trekking, it’s recommended that tourists book their chimpanzee permits in advance. There is a maximum number of how many people can trek chimpanzees each day and it depends on the place you are going to trek down these chimpanzees whether in Uganda or Rwanda. Most of the cases its always 6 people per community in a single session. Chimpanzee trekking starts in the morning after briefing from the head guide. Tourists go out to the forest by themselves and are led by an armed ranger or park guide. Thr guide or ranger knows where to find these chimpanzee communities by finding the clues left behind. Habituated chimpanzees have ability to identify familiar faces of guides making them reassured. In national parks and game reserves where chimpanzee visits are open to tourists, there are two session of chimpanzee trekking- one in the morning and the other in the evening. Chimpanzees are active in the rainy season as the move out feeding and hunting. In the afternoon, many chimpanzees are resting and grooming each other while looking for shelter to avoid direct sunshine

While carrying out chimpanzee trekking, expect to be escorted by armed rangers and guards. These rangers move with guns to scare away animals such as lions, buffaloes and elephants that can be of danger to visitors. These guides start looking for these animals around areas where chimpanzees built their last night nest. Chimpanzee trekking can go for hours depending on the season of the year and the park you went to. However it’s not easy getting the exact location of chimpanzees compared to mountain gorillas. Chimpanzees are noisy, very stubborn and unruly. Chimpanzees’ trackers allocate them by loud barks and hoots. Once you find a chimpanzee community, get prepares to follow them for a long time through the hills, dense vegetation and forest at a high speed.  Visitors should be aware of falling fruits from trees, urine from chimpanzees. Chimps take long to get down from trees and settling on the ground. Once chimpanzees get on the ground you will have an opportunity to take photos, see their behavior and characters.

Chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda

This is a process of allowing chimpanzees get used to human presence around them through continuous visits led by experienced researchers and park guides. According to researchers the chimpanzee habituation process can take up to 2 years before these primates get completely used to human presence. Chimpanzee habituation permits are a bit more expensive than normal chimpanzee trekking and provides better value for money. Unfortunately there is no chimpanzee habituation in Rwanda. Its only in Uganda and Tanzania where chimpanzee trekking can be done. Unlike chimpanzee trekking, during chimpanzee habituation tourists get to spend the whole day with chimpanzees following them everywhere they go.

Chimpanzee trekking is more challenging and visitors are involved in every habituation related activities. Chimpanzee habituation starts as early as 5:30am and meet the guides before going to meet chimpanzees before leaving their nests. In thg30am and meet the guides before going to meet chimpanzees before leaving their nests. In this activity you will be able to watch chimpanzees wake up and prepare for the day’s activity such as feeding, resting, protecting territories, taking care of young ones and building nests at the top of the trees and the chimpanzee habituation exercise ends once chimpanzees go back to their nest. At the end of chimpanzee habituation experience, you must be familiar with individuals including their body markings and personalities