Chimpanzee encounters and adventures in Uganda with Katland safaris.
Why chimpanzee trekking adventures in Uganda should be on top of your bucket-list summer adventures in Africa.
Believe me when I say there will be no YouTube or National Geographic documentary that can prepare you for your first, up-close, wild chimpanzee encounter. Being a few feet away from wild apes will trigger an instant burst of adrenaline that washes your entire body like a winter fever, a thing that you will remember for the rest of your life.
The thrill of watching the almost-human intelligence of the great apes, with their antics, expressions, and interactions will captivate your innermost empathy for the living beasts. They glance right back at you with their very dark sclerae, and paler irises strikingly similar to our own. Even their poses for photography will make you wonder if they’re putting on a show or making the best of your trekking presence.
One shouldn’t even begin to compare the chimpanzee experience with trekking gorillas in the mountains. Coming face-to-face with a wild chimpanzee is a breathlessly exhilarating experience that arguably beats the gorilla trekking adventure hands down. Consider that Kalinzu or Kibale Forest terrain is a much simpler one to navigate. The woods are less dense, chimpanzee troops are easier to find, and the price is significantly lower.
Most travelers take the regular half-day chimpanzee tracking excursion, giving plenty of time in the jungle to search for the elusive apes. It also rewards visitors with an exhilarating hour observing the great apes. The adventure begins with a briefing at the visitor center at 7:30 am. During this 30-minute exciting briefing, visitors get basic information about the chimpanzees and a couple of ground rules relevant to the successful experience with the wild primates before they head into the woods.
Visitors are under strict regulation to stay at least 10 meters away from the chimps due to a couple of significant reasons. For example, chimpanzees share 98% of DNA with humans and are therefore susceptible to human contagious diseases like influenza or the common cold. although they’re habituated, they’re not tame, and the distance is for theirs and your safety. A ranger may be tempted to shoot it down if it tries to attack you or you may shit your pants when the ape touches you; either way, you and the chimp have to be protected. Knowledgeable guides lead the excursions and keep visitors in check, feeding them relevant information.
After the briefing, the park warden separates you into manageable small groups, assigns local guides and armed rangers, and then sends you off into the wilderness to encounter the chimps. Your guide will lead you through tangled vegetation, damp forest floor, ducking under low bushes, dead tree stumps, roots, and streams. They’ll be tracking any chimpanzee activity like knuckle prints, broken twigs, and loud hoots like harsh, high-pitched screeching that ascends to a crescendo and then fades away into the woods. That rousing sound that excites your blood pressure means you’re about to encounter your evolutionary cousins.
You follow the direction of the ratchet, and soon you’re surrounded by familiar black-furred figures completely unconcerned by your presence. Some will be hanging in the treetops, feeding on fruit, or showing off their antics. Others could be on the ground, laying down, grooming, mothers breastfeeding, and males jostling for political leadership. They will be spread over a large area in small groups, but they’re never gathered in one place. So, dirt your eyes around and move to a rewarding position; it is time to meet your host.
For any more inquiries about chimpanzee trekking in Uganda and Rwanda, contact us at info@katlandafricagorillasafaris.com.
