How Many Trekkers Visit a Chimpanzee Family in Kibale?
How Many Trekkers Visit a Chimpanzee Family in Kibale? Several travelers are curious about the recommended number of people for tracking a chimpanzee family in Kibale Forest National Park. This popular park is known for its primate population, including 13 chimpanzee families, though not all are available for tourism. Some groups are reserved for research, trekking, and habituation, while others remain wild.
In Kibale National Park, there are 13 chimpanzee families, but only two allow tourism. One family offers standard chimpanzee trekking for one hour, while the other permits almost a full day’s stay to help chimpanzees get used to human presence.
How Many Trekkers Visit a Chimpanzee Family in Kibale?
How many trekkers visit a chimpanzee family in Kibale? A total of 72 groups can trek and interact with a fully habituated chimpanzee family, while 12 people can meet a semi-habituated family. The 72 trekkers do not go into the forest all at once; groups never exceed 8 people. Each group is assigned ranger guides and uses different trails to find the chimpanzees. If multiple groups are searching for the same family, it is difficult to see them all together. Each group is allowed a maximum of 1 hour with the chimpanzees to prevent crowding.
Chimpanzee groups can have over 100 members, unlike mountain gorillas, which have 5 to 25. During the day, chimpanzees spread out while looking for food, allowing trekkers to see different small groups of the same family. They regroup in the evening for nesting but separate the next day again, staying close to each other. This arrangement allows around 72 trekkers to observe a chimpanzee family in a single day, though not all at once.
Visitors planning chimpanzee activities in Kibale Forest National Park should note that a fully habituated family can accommodate up to 72 people per day, while a semi-habituated family allows only 12. Trekking permits from the Uganda Wildlife Authority are required for both types of visits.
How Many Chimpanzee Permits are in Kibale Forest National Park a Day?
How many trekkers visit a chimpanzee family in Kibale? The park issues 72 chimpanzee trekking permits and 12 chimpanzee habituation permits each day. The 72 permits allow travellers to spend 1 hour with habituated chimpanzee families, while the 12 permits allow a full day of interaction.
How Much Can I Get to Kibale Forest National Park?
Travellers can purchase chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale Forest for $250 (foreign non-residents), $200 (foreign residents), and UGX180,000 (East African citizens). Chimpanzee habituation permits cost $300 for non-foreign residents, $250 for foreign residents, and UGX 250,000 for citizens of East Africa.
Travelers can obtain chimpanzee permits for Kibale Forest National Park by booking directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or through a local tour operator like Journeys Uganda. You need to provide the dates of your trek. After confirming availability, a partial or full payment is required to secure the permit.
How many trekkers visit a chimpanzee family in Kibale? Trekkers must show permits on the trekking day at the Kanyanchu visitor’s center for chimpanzee trekking or during the visit. They receive a briefing about rules, and ranger guides lead them into the jungle to search for chimpanzees.
The search for primates lasts 2-6 hours. Once found, trekkers have 1 hour for standard chimpanzee trekking and a full day for chimpanzee habituation. During this time, they can learn about chimpanzee behaviors, take photos, and observe daily activities like foraging and grooming.
Where to Stay in Kibale Forest National Park?
How many trekkers visit a chimpanzee family in Kibale? The park is one of the glamorous destinations in the country with unique and affordable establishments ranging from luxury to mid-range and budget options. Each of these lodges offers unique services and is filled with comfort and tranquillity, and these include Kibale Forest Lodge, Kibale Forest Camp, Rweteera Safari Camp, Guereza Canopy Lodge, Chimpundu Safari Lodge, Top of the World Lodges, Kibale Lodge, Isunga Lodge, Bweza Lodge, Chimpanzee Capital Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, Bahundu Safari Lodge, and Kibale Tourist Safari Lodge, among others.
Although Kibale National Park can be visited year-round, the dry season is ideal, especially from June to August and December to February. This is because, during this period, the area receives little to no rainfall, making roads leading to the park easily accessible and vegetation sparse, providing clear visibility of wildlife species, especially primates and birds.