ibale National Park – What a majestic piece of heaven this forest is. It is the only park in Africa known to have up to 13 primate species; chimpanzees, L’hoest monkeys, bushbabies, olive baboons, bushbabies, vervet monkeys, black and white monkeys, blue monkeys, red colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey.

The park is green throughout the year, and there is a reason: it receives rain for much of the year thanks to its location in the tropics.

The best part of the story is that its trails have lots of boardwalks. By the same token, the log bridges over the rivers are routinely maintained.

As such, you don’t have to wallow your shoes in mud to get through. This eases accessibility thereby making chimp trekking a sweet pleasure.

The chimp trek here is a life-altering experience that brings chills of excitement to recall. The forest has a mix of both gentle and steep trails, so wear good hiking shoes and a pair of gardening gloves.

Please note that there is no fixed route to find the chimps as they roam freely, unlike animals in a zoo. So brace yourself for anything from 20 mins to 5 hours. As you hike deeper off the beaten path, the rangers will be clearing and opening a path with machetes.

Eventually, your endurance will pay off. You stand high chances of seeing a large family group of chimps, comprising of alpha males, teenage chimps, females, and babies. It is such an astounding encounter.

Having undergone habituation, most of the chimps are totally chill and not nervous around people. On the contrary, they are so free. Don’t freak out in case their young ones try out newly learned intimidation techniques.

The guides are always happy to go the extra mile, ensuring you will see as much wildlife as possible, some of which you have never seen before.

Chimpanzee Habituation in Kibale National Park

You can’t go wrong with this adventure especially if you want a more intense experience than chimp trekking. It will show you what happens behind the scenes as ranger guides prepare chimps for tourism. It half-day adventure is such a fun and educational trip!

After being briefed on the DOs and DON’Ts of the adventure at the park headquarters, you will embark on a moderately challenging hike through the park’s jungle. Along the way, your guide will help scout for animal sightings and share with you intriguing aspects of unique flora.

If lady luck is on your side, you might come across as many as five different families as you hike through the forest. Their vocal hoots and screams provide the soundtrack to the forest. They developed unique adaptations to fit their forest life.

Whenever deficient in proteins, they hunt for black and white monkeys or fish termites from hills by poking their nests with sticks. You will appreciate how easy the guides are to talk to. They are patient and will let you walk at your own speed without feeling under pressure.