The best destinations for chimpanzee tracking safaris are found in East Africa and in particular Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. These are homes thousands of the eastern chimpanzees (pantroglodytes schweinfurthii).
There are four subspecies of chimpanzees which include central, found in Nigeria and Cameroon, western, and eastern chimpanzees inhabiting 21 countries in equatorial Africa. The eastern chimpanzee is the most well-studied through pioneering research and habituation.
Notable initiatives for chimpanzee research include Dr. Jane Goodall in 1960 in Gombe Stream and in 1965 by Japanese researchers. This was conducted in Mahale mountains national parks in western Tanzania along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Two more were conducted in Uganda by Vernon Reynolds (1962) in Budongo central forest reserve and Richard Wrangham and colleagues in 1987 in Kibale national park.
Several chimpanzee communities have since been fully habituated for tourism while others are still subject to research and habituation. As such, there are two ways to seeing chimps in the wild which include chimpanzee trekking and chimpanzee habituation experiences as explained below.
Chimpanzee tracking safari experiences
Chimp trekking offers 1 hour of viewing chimpanzees and involves a small group of 8 people led by rangers through the forest to track and observe a fully habituated troop. Within an hour you’re able to witness chimps in their natural habitat as they forage, play, and interact with one another.
Chimpanzee habituation experience
Visitors join researchers, habituators, and trackers early in the morning before dawn to follow a semi-habituated chimp group from the time of waking up from their nests up to when they take a nap at midday between 11am-2pm.
Nest counting helps estimate populations in a given group. CHEX offers an in-depth insight into chimpanzee behavior patterns and is conducted only in Kibale and Mahale Mountains national parks in Uganda and Tanzania respectively.
Habituated chimps are closely monitored daily by experienced wildlife rangers and trackers which offers relatively high chances for visitors to see them in their natural habitats.
Chimpanzees are more active than gorillas due to their diet, social and terrestrial behavior. They can travel up to 10–12 kilometers (6–7.5 miles) per day. Chimpanzee trekking can be challenging due to the nature of terrain and the minimum age is 15 years to participate. Chimpanzee trekking safaris are available for booking in combination with wildlife safari activities through a registered tour operator.
Chimpanzee tracking in Uganda
Uganda is famous for harboring a population of over 5,000 chimpanzees found in over 20 different forests across the country’s Albertine rift valley forests. Trekking place at 5 different locations which include Kibale national park, Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu, Budongo, and Bugoma central forest reserves.
In addition to viewing chimps in their natural habitats, visitors can visit Ngamba Island Sanctuary on Lake Victoria, near Entebbe international airport, which houses 49 orphaned and rescued chimpanzees for interactive chimpanzee feeding sessions.
Kibale forest national park (KNP) is famous for harboring 1,450 chimpanzees along with 13 primate species including Ugandan mangabeys, red colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, and velvet monkeys. Among other nocturnal species include Damidoff’s and speckled galagos.
The protected offers the best primate experience in East Africa with regular trekking and chimpanzee habituation experiences as well as primate field research opportunities particularly for studying chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys, and other wildlife species.
Kyambura Gorge
Kyambura Gorge is 100 deep and 11 km long and contains tropical forests providing habitat for over 50 chimpanzees among other primate species including black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, and olive baboons.
River Kyambura flows through the gorge and empties into the Kazinga channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. The gorge forms part of Kyambura Game Reserve in Kasenyi plains north of Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area.
Given that the gorge is surrounded by savanna plains it harbors other wildlife species including hippos, elephants, and leopards. The mammals are able to move in and out of the gorge which the chimps can’t do due to the nature of terrain and habitat fragmentation.
The chimpanzees have adapted to survive entirely on the resources within the gorge. To address the challenges of isolation, the Kyambura Gorge Ecotourism Project is working on reforestation to create a buffer zone that will reconnect the gorge to other forested areas.
Visiting the gorge for your chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda helps to raise the funds for the good cause. The Kyambura Gorge walk permit cost is $50 for foreign non residents, $40 for foreign residents, and UGX 30,000 for East African citizens.
The chance of spotting chimps is relatively high during the gorge walk visitors will experience the thrill of descending into the underground forest, crossing streams, and exploring ancient caves hidden within the forest.
Budongo forest
Budongo is one of Uganda’s largest central forest reserves, covering 825 sq. km within Murchison Falls Conservation Area. With altitude range of 700 – 1,270, Budongo consists mainly of semi-deciduous tropical forest, interspersed with Combretum savanna woodland transition zones, swamp and riverine forests.
Four rivers which include Sonso, Waisoke, Wake, and Bubwa drain the forest and flow into Lake Albert. The forest supports 465 tree species, including one of East Africa’s largest and oldest natural mahogany forests.
The dominant mahogany species include African mahogany (Khaya anthotheca) and Ugandan ironwood (Cynometra alexandri) among other broad leaved species such as fig trees and wild date palms (Phoenix reclinata).
Due to a variety of habitats, Budongo is rich in biodiversity including over 900 chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys. There are 360 species of birds and mammal species such as elephants, buffaloes, tree pangolin as well as predators including lions and leopards.
Chimps are the main attractions with several well-habituated communities in the Kaniyo Pabidi sector and the success rate for chimpanzee sightings in Budongo forest is over 80%, making for Uganda’s second best chimp trekking destination after Kibale national park.
Chimp trekking at Budongo is conducted in two sessions with morning session starting at 7am and afternoon session at 2pm. The afternoon session offers high chances of encountering the primates on the ground.
In addition to chimp trekking, Budongo hosts several volunteer and research programs, mainly coordinated by the Budongo Conservation Field Station in partnership with UWA to investigate threats to chimps.
Kalinzu forest
Kalinzu central forest reserve, located in Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area is managed by National Forestry Authority. Covering 147 sq. km Kalinzu is part of the Albertine rift forests with rich biodiversity including 414 tree species, 380 species of birds, and 6 primate species including chimpanzees.
With a population of over 320 chimpanzees of which a group of 50 chimps are habituated for tourism, Kalinzu offers chimp trekking and the permit cost is $50 per person for foreign non residents, making for a budget-friendly option for chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda.
Chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda
Rwanda offers chimpanzee trekking in two places which include Nyungwe forest and Gishwati Mukura national parks. Nyungwe forest national park, one of Africa’s oldest montane tropical forests covering over 1,000 sq. km, is the main destination for chimpanzee trekking safaris.
The protected area is rich in biodiversity including over 500 chimpanzees among other 12 primate species including colobus monkeys, Hamlyn’s monkeys and red tailed monkeys; 1000 flowering plants, 85 mammal species, over 300 species of birds of which 16 are Albertine rift endemics.
The park is managed by African Parks Network in partnership with RDB since 2010 and was inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage site in 2023. Tourism at Nyungwe is well managed with professionally trained nature and wildlife guides that provide education experiences for visitors.
A wide range of activities in addition to chimpanzee trekking have also been developed including East Africa’s highest canopy walk, colobus monkey trekking, 13 hiking trails and waterfalls, and visits to the neighboring Gisakura tea plantations.
Chimps are the main attractions; however, the rich biodiversity and spectacular scenery of Nyungwe makes for a must-visit gem in East Africa. Nyungwe is 100 km from Lake Kivu and you can visit Karongi (Kibuye) for relaxation, boat trips, and island visits or Rubavu (Gisenyi) town which is the most developed lakeside town with a public beach.
Gishwati Mukura national park
Located along the Congo-Nile Divide in the Albertine rift valley in Rutsiro and Ngororero Districts of Western Province, Gishwati Mukura national park was established in 2015 by merging two previously fragmented forest reserves into a fully fledged protected area covering 34 sq. km including a buffer zone.
The park was restored to protect the rich biodiversity including a growing population of 30 chimpanzees among other primates which include golden monkeys, blue monkeys, and L’Hoest’s monkeys.
In addition to primates, there are 232 species of birds of which 20 are Albertine Rift Endemics including Kivu ground thrush and Grauer’s swamp warbler. Primates are still undergoing habituation which offers a more authentic trekking experience.
Gishwati-Mukura offers a conservation focused tourism experience with community based activities such as farm stays, visiting traditional healer for his stunning metaphysics, handicraft making, and bee keeping. Nature walks are available to explore the park and visiting Pfunda and Sebeya waterfalls.
Chimpanzee tracking in Tanzania
Chimpanzees in Tanzania live in the remote western circuit in the tropical forests along the shores of Lake Tanganyika including Gombe stream, Mahale and Rubondo Island national parks and Tongwe and Loazi forest reserves. These forests combined harbor an estimated 2,600 chimpanzee population of which communities have been habituated for tourist visits in Gome, Mahale, and Ruhondo Island.
Mahale mountains national park offers one of the best chimpanzee trekking experiences with opportunities to relax on the idyllic beaches of Lake Tanganyika. There are over 100 chimps of which Mimikere community, which comprises 75 individuals, has been habituated by Japanese researchers since 1965.
The chance to see primates is relatively high in Mahale. Among other activities to do include hiking Mount Nkungwe at 1,700 meters above sea level to enjoy spectacular views of the rift valley escarpments. Those intending to explore the area can visit the nearby Katavi national park for game drives safaris to see buffaloes, elephants, and hippos.
The park can be reached only by air through Kalilani airstrip just outside of the park) or by a 90-minute boat cruise from the airstrip. The best way to visit Mahale is to organize Tanzania fly in safari that combines the northern circuit.
Gombe stream national park
Gombe covers 52 sq. km along the rift valley escarpment and contains Gunea Congo forests and Miombo woodland vegetation, streams and waterfalls. The park harbors over 140 chimpanzees made famous by Dr. Jane Goodall who established Gombe stream research center in 1960 currently recognized as the world’s longest-active study of wild chimps.
Kasakela chimpanzee community is one of those that Jane studied and still exists, though its populations and dynamics have changed over time. There are two groups that are habituated for tourist visits. Among other primate species in Gombe include red colobus monkeys and there’s a relatively high chance to observe chimps hunting them in the park.
Jane is famous for establishing the Gombe Stream Research Center in 1960 currently recognized as the world’s longest-active study of wild chimps. Jane made groundbreaking discoveries about the ecology and behavior of chimpanzees including use tools such as stones to crack nuts and sticks to draw termites from mounds.
She observed that they live in social communities with social hierarchies where males compete for dominance. Goodall documented human like traits among chimps such as grooming each other, expressing joy, grief, anger, and conflict. Chimps are omnivorous and they feed on plants and meat of smaller monkeys and bush babies.
As such, chimpanzees are among the most intelligent animals and share 98% of their DNA with humans. Chimpanzees are an endangered species on CITES Appendix I and population is declining due to habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and illegal wildlife trade, disease transmission due to genetic similarity.
Today, the Jane Goodall Institute continues to conduct research to protect all the four species and their habitats, and create a more harmonious relationship between people, animals and the environment across the greater chimp range states including Republic of Congo, DR Congo, Mali, and Senegal. The long-term studies have mostly been conducted in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda,
They make and use tools, hunt and eat flesh showing that chimpanzees are omnivorous. Nishida aimed to understand the dynamics of chimpanzee communities and their interactions with the environment.
Using the educational approach taken by Jane Goodall, the trackers understand the daily routines of chimpanzees such as their vocalizations, feeding patterns, preferred fruit trees, and common nesting places which help them predict the group’s movements.
Once the chimps are located, visitors can spend extended periods ranging from 1 hour to full day observing the primates in their natural habitat. This depends on the chimp experience and the destination you chose for your primate safari.