Tracking Great Apes in Uganda : Create the most serene family safari holiday retreat with Uganda’s giant apes. It’s incredible and unforgettable to spend so much time with these animals. Mountain Gorillas and chimpanzees are examples of apes. You will have a fantastic time with these apes having fun, taking photographs, and so forth. These apes are trekked in Bwindi Impenetrable, Mgahinga Gorilla, and Kibale national parks, Kalinzu forest or Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Budongo forest near Murchison Falls National Park.
Tracking Great Apes in Uganda.
To access Uganda, you must fly into Entebbe International Airport. Visitors can also access the country from Kigali city in Rwanda using the land borders at Cyanika in Kisoro district and Katuna in Kibale district. If you are coming from Kenya by land, you can access the country from the borders at Malaba or Busia.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale National Park in Uganda.
Before we proceed, let us describe habituation as a method of accustoming monkeys to human behavior. As a result, you must get them closer to people in order to modify their behavior. Chimpanzee habituation requires a whole day of habituating and searching for chimpanzees to bring them closer to humans. It begins around 6 a.m., when the chimps rise to begin grazing, and ends about 7 a.m., when the chimpanzees build their nests to rest.
You will need to get up extremely early in the morning, have a cup of tea or coffee, and then travel to the headquarters for a briefing on chimp habituation. This is carried out at the Kanyanchu Visitor Center. Following the briefing, you will proceed to the forest to begin habituation.
This is done to lessen the chimps’ fear of people so that they cease hiding away from them and get used to them. When you discover these primates, you will have plenty of opportunity to see them hunting, grazing, fornicating, and finally resting. The chimps’ habituation takes a lengthy period, more than two years. It is done until the chimpanzees become accustomed to people and perceive them as allies and not threats.
Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Kibale National Park.
This event will be carried out in Kibale National Park with the assistance of a chimp family that has been accustomed to and understands human presence. This will allow you to become more familiar with the apes in the forest. However, this will not cause the chimpanzees to become used to people right away.
The experience of being with these monkeys is physically still lucking since it forces one to continue walking following the chimpanzees’ motions. These chimpanzees are constantly active and busy playing, banging on tree trunks, and jumping. You will then photograph them as they are playing on the ground.
However, as previously said, habituation takes up the entire day; however, if you are through habituating while it is still early, you are free to return to the lodge and relax.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
This national park is located in the Kasese district in Uganda’s south-western region. It is located north of Kibale National Park and is about a two and a half hour journey from Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth National Park is recognized for a variety of activities such as boat cruises on the Kazinga Channel and game drives to observe a variety of species like as buffaloes, elephants, leopards, and crocodiles, to name a few.
In the park, you can also witness the tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, which has drawn a lot of attention. The park has lots of chimpanzees in the Kyambura Gorge and the neighbouring Kalinzu Gorge, which people who prefer to walk in Queen Elizabeth national park may see.
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in the south-western part of Uganda in Kanungu district whereas Mgahinga Gorilla national park is located in Kisoro district, still in the south-western province of Uganda.
However, Bwindi forest national park also has other animal species such as elephants, buffaloes, and monkeys, to name a few. The park features a lot of attractive bird species that encourage people to travel with Uganda’s great apes, like the swamp warbler, African green broadbill, Eremomela, and many others.
Mountain gorilla habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest begins extremely early in the morning, around 6 a.m., before the gorillas set off to go and begin grazing. You will have to get up extremely early in the morning, have your tea breakfast, and then begin your travel to Rushaga sector, where you will begin your habituation. It is recommended that you bring a packed lunch because it takes nearly a day to habituate the gorillas. You’ll have to return to your lodge and relax from there.
Mgahinga gorilla trekking in Uganda begins at 7 a.m. with a briefing by rangers at the park headquarters in Ntebeko. The expedition begins at 8 a.m., with passengers venturing deep into the jungle in search of these delicate creatures. Depending on the location of the gorillas, the trip might take anywhere from 2-4 hours.
Best Time for tracking Great Apes in Uganda.
So far, it has been said that there is no set schedule for seeing the great apes in Uganda. As a result, you should join the race to find these enormous apes as quickly as possible. However, the optimal time would be during the dry season, when the ground is dry and suitable for all sorts of vehicles to travel through without difficulty or breakdown.
What is the best weather for tracking Great Apes in Uganda?
The best time to be joyful and have a wonderful Uganda wildlife safari is during the dry seasons, which are from June to August, and again from December to February. This is an excellent time since there will be no concerns with slipping, falling, or other hazards. However, remember to bring some umbreras, water proof shoes, and rain fall jackets, to name a few items, because this is a tropical jungle and rain is expected all the time.
The heavy rains of March to May, September to November attract less travelers since most tourists have allergy conditions and the grounds are so slick that clients are injured while trekking. However, tourists prefer the rainy season since the apes are usually around and do not have to travel far to graze. This provides an excellent opportunity for these travelers to view them without having to travel big distances. Furthermore, for those who enjoy shooting photographs, the setting is clear and attractive, allowing for a better view and a clear image.
Cost of tracking Great Apes in Uganda.
The cost of chimp habituation is 250 USD, which is somewhat higher than the cost of chimp trekking, which is 200 USD. The reason for this is that, in comparison to hiking, habituation takes a long time.
Furthermore, the cost of mountain gorilla habituation in Bwindi impenetrable national park is 1500 USD, which is greater than the cost of gorilla trekking in Bwindi or Mgahinga national parks, which is 700 USD. The permissions can be obtained from the Uganda Wildlife Authority before to the trip to acclimate the apes. This might assist you prevent inconvenience while at the park getting used to it.
