How to book chimpanzee habituation permits in Kibale National Park : Chimpanzee habituation permits for Kibale national park are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority and these documents allow individuals to engage in chimpanzee habituation at the national park.
The chimpanzee habituation experience is done by individuals above the age of 15 years and involves spending time with chimpanzees in Kibale forest to get them used to the presence of humans in their natural habitat.
Kibale forest national park is located in western Uganda and is a destination which is famous for primate experiences. There are about 13 different species of primates found in the Kibale forest and they include chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys among others.
The other destination in Uganda where chimpanzee habituation is done is Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park which is located in the north western part of the country. It is important to book the habituation permits in advance due to limited number of permits issued.
The process of booking chimpanzee habituation permits in Kibale national park is as follows;
- Checking availability of chimpanzee permits
Chimpanzee habituation permits for Kibale national park can be booked through licensed tour operators. These tour operators can check availability of the chimpanzee permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
When there is no availability of permits on the desired dates of the chimpanzee habituation experience, individuals can choose from other dates for the habituation experience in Kibale national park.
The availability of the chimpanzee habituation permits can be checked via email or through phone calls to the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
- Payment of the chimpanzee habituation permits
After confirming the available dates of the chimpanzee habituation experience, the permits are booked and payment is made to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
Chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale national park
When visiting Kibale national park for chimpanzee habituation experiences, a briefing is done at the park headquarters. The park headquarters are at Kanyanchu and during the briefing, tourists are told about the dos and don’ts of the chimpanzee habituation experience.
After the briefing, tourists are led into the forest accompanied by ranger guides, researchers as they proceed to the chimpanzee group undergoing habituation in Kibale national park. The habituation experience is a full day activity but tourists have 4 hours in the presence of the chimpanzees.
Tourists move deeper into Kibale forest to find the chimpanzee groups which are being habituated. During the interaction with the chimpanzees, the individuals taking part in the chimpanzee habituation experience can observe the behavior of the chimpanzees and watch them closely.
The habituation of the chimpanzees in Kibale forest is gradual and can go for a period of about 2 to 3 years before the chimpanzees can be tracked by tourists taking part in chimpanzee trekking tours around the national park.
The best time for chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale national park is during the dry season around June to September. During the dry season, it is easier to move around the forests in search of the chimpanzees. The activity can also be done in the rainy season which is also part of the low season.
Cost of chimpanzee habituation permits in Kibale National Park
In Kibale national park, the chimpanzee habituation permits cost 300 USD for foreign nonresidents, 250 USD for foreign residents and 250,000 Uganda shillings.
Other costs of chimpanzee habituation experiences in Kibale National Park include transport costs, accommodation costs and personal expenses.
Other activities to do in Kibale national park include chimpanzee trekking, bird watching, guided forest walks, Bigodi tours and also community tours.
- Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park is another exciting activity which is done during tours around the park. This activity involves spending time with habituated chimpanzee groups, searching for them through the forests and observing their behavior.
Permits for chimpanzee trekking in Kibale cost 250 USD for foreign nonresidents, 200 USD for foreign residents and 180,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens. chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park takes place in the morning and also in the afternoon.
- Another activity which is done in Kibale national park is bird watching. There are over 370 bird species found in Kibale forest and they include Black-headed weaver, Black-headed Oriole, Green-breasted Pitta, African Emerald Cuckoo, Alpine Swift, African Dusky Flycatcher, Blue-throated Roller, Zebra Waxbill, African Wood Owl, Barn Swallow, Western Citril, African-pied Wagtail, Brown-chested Alethe, Brown-capped Weaver, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Yellow-billed Barbet, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Black-billed Turaco, African Green Pigeon, Alpine Swift, Black and white Cosqued Hornbill among others.
There are different spots for birding around Kibale national park including the Bigodi wetlands and different trails in Kibale forest. This activity can be done for a full day or as a half day excursion.
- Guided forest walks around Kibale forest involve waling with ranger guides around the forest and seeing different tree species and getting to know more about them and also spotting different primates and various bird species around the national park.
The nature walks can take about 2 hours of following different trails around Kibale national park which can be done in the morning or afternoon.
Bigodi tours around Kibale national park involve nature walks around the Bigodi wetland sanctuary which is one of the best birding spots in Kibale with over 138 bird species. These tours can also involve interactions with the locals in the Bigodi community who also act as guides during the nature walk.
Where to stay in Kibale national park
There are different lodges around Kibale national park where tourists can sty during their chimpanzee habituation tours and they include luxury, midrange and budget accommodations such as Kibale forest camp, Turaco treetops lodge, Crater safari lodge, Isunga lodge, Chimpundu lodge, Kyaninga lodge, Ndali lodge, Primate lodge among others.
How to get to Kibale national park
There are two routes which can be used to get to Kibale national park and they include the Kampala-Mubende-Fort portal route and the Kampala-Mbarara-Kamwenge route.
The drive from Kampala to Kibale national park takes about 5 to 6 hours.
