Pearlland Safaris introduces you to a half day Chimpanzee habituation expereince that takes place in Kibale Forest National Park which is a park that has the highest diversity and concentration of primates in Africa. Similarly you can have the same experience in Budongo Forest (Murchison Falls National Park)
Chimpanzees have always been of special interest to tourists and the study of human biological and physiological characteristics and their evolution. As our closest living relatives, they provide the standard against which to assess human uniqueness and information regarding the changes that must have occurred during the course of human evolution. Given these circumstances, it is not surprising that Chimpanzee have been studied intensively in the wild.
What Exactly is Chimpanzee habituation Experience (CHEX)?
Chimpanzees in their natural habitat are a wild bunch and would not entertain human visitors within their territory. With chimpanzee habituation, the chimps over two years are continuously put in the presence of humans by expert researchers to make them get used to having them around then later more humans are allowed to come spend regulated time with the primates. This is what we call the habituation experience.
Most visitors visit the chimpanzees much like the Mountain Gorillas for one hour, however another option that allows you to be with chimpanzees all day long in the forests of Budongo (Murchison Falls National Park) or Kibale Forest National Park is the habituation experience which goes all day with chimpanzees in their natural setting.
Uganda Wildlife Authority which is the body in charge of the whole experience recommends that Chimpanzee Habituation Experience not be for the faint hearted which means an early breakfast, a packed lunch and you are off before dawn breaks into the forest. You meet your guide and you are off to where the chimpanzees built nests the night before. Dawn is just breaking and the chimpanzee community you are going to be with the rest of the day is rising from their sleep.
However you are here for the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience which entails getting the chimpanzees used to the presence of humans (removing the fear of humans from the group), a process that takes up to two years and on this special day you are part of that process by your whole days presence in the forest. Years ago, it used to be that you had a 20% chance of seeing chimpanzees in the wild, however today because of the habituation process, this chance has increased to over 90%.
Your day will be full of activities, your camera will fill up with quality pictures of the chimpanzees and you will get to learn to identify them as individuals by their markings, sometimes scars and other unique features that make them stand apart from rest. The day ends as the chimpanzees climb into their newly built nests for the evening and you too head back to your lodging for the evening.
Half day Chimpanzee habituation cost USD 150 for both foreign non-residents and foreign resident, and USD 25 for East African Citizens, this excursion usually starts early in the morning at around 6am and stops at mid-day, you are advised to wake up at 5am, have an early morning breakfast then proceed to your provocative yet thrilling encounter in the jungle of Kibale Forest National Park.
At least 13 primates can be seen at the Park namely Chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, De Brazza’s monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Red colobus monkeys among others. The half day chimpanzee habituation encounter gives you an opportunity to accompany Kibale’s anthropologists and habituators as they follow chimpanzees throughout their daily activities, a process which usually takes up to 2 years. Kindly contact us for more information about great Primate Habituation Safaris in Uganda.
It is about 300 km from Kampala with a tarmac road going to Fort portal and also a distance of 37 km on murram road to Kibale National Park.
Preferred Accommodation for your stay
Luxury Preference
Mid-range Preference
Budget Preference
Nyinabulitwa Country Resort and Safari Camp
Lake Nkuruba Nature Reserve and Community Campsite
You can choose from some of our best packages to plan your trip with us. Click here to inquire.
4 Days Best of Chimpanzee tracking safari.
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