Chimpanzee habituation permits for Kibale National Park

Chimpanzee habituation permits for Kibale National Park, Uganda cost tourists USD250 per person for foreign non-residents and foreign residents. The East Africa citizens -Ugandan nationals inclusive pay UGX 150,000 per person for a single Kibale chimpanzee habituation permits.  Chimpanzee habituation experience (CHEX) permit’ rates are inclusive of guide fee and 4 hours park entrance fee.

Chimpanzee habituation experience is unusual experience done in Kibale and Budongo Forests. During CHEX, visits are made to only semi-habituated or completely unhabituated chimpanzee communities. It is done the whole day or you can choose to have half day chimpanzee habituation experience depending on other programs that you may have. After undergoing habituation, it means that chimpanzees are used to human presences and they can be trekked.

The habituation process for chimpanzee communities, mountain gorillas and golden monkeys are almost the same. The process is done by trackers or researchers/scientists who spend most of their time observing the daily behaviors of these great apes, naming them, etc. Like gorilla habituation, chimpanzee habituation experience is done by tourists of 15 years and above.

How to book your Kibale chimpanzee habituation permits?

There are 2 options to have your valid chimpanzee habituation permits for Kibale National Park booked. You can contact the reservation team at Maranatha Tours and Travel to assist you not only book for a CHEX permit but also to arrange the entire chimpanzee safari. We put everything that is required to make chimpanzee safari complete from booking permits to finding accommodation, means for your travel to & from Kibale, meals, etc.

The other option is reaching out to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). The reservation team at UWA is available and they can also help you book for the Kibale chimpanzee habituation experience permit.

Is chimpanzee habituation experience different from chimpanzee tracking?

The chimpanzee habituation experience is extraordinary in that visitors have full day to be in the jungles searching, interacting with chimpanzees. It is a perfect way to have a deep understanding about chimpanzees, their behaviors, feeding habits and taking pictures, etc.

Chimpanzee habituation is a long process of initiating wild chimpanzees to get used to human face. A chimpanzee community is then opened for actual chimpanzee tracking or trekking. The process of making chimpanzees familiar to human presence takes 2 years less or more depending on how quick they can adopt. Some communities the shorter period than expected of them.

During chimpanzee habituation, you enjoy 4 hours of face-to-face encounter unlike usual chimpanzee trekking with only 1 hour. Visitors are accompanied by park trackers, scientists or conservationists and during the normal chimpanzee treks, tourists are led by guides and takes 2-4 hours to finish the chimpanzee tracking session.

What else is there to see in Kibale besides chimpanzees? Kibale National Park is a rich natural forest protected area inhabiting 13 primate species. In addition to chimpanzees, expect to come across primates such as blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, baboons, bush babies, pottos, red tailed monkeys, red colobus monkeys and many others.

Over 375 birds, 200 butterflies, buffaloes, forest elephants, etc all share the same habitat with diverse primates. These and more can be spotted on chimpanzee habituation or normal chimpanzee trek.

What to carry or wear for the Kibale chimpanzee habituation experience?

Being a long day adventure, you really need to be fully prepared. The list of things not to miss includes adequate drinking water, packed food/lunch, waterproof hiking boots, insect repellents, rain jacket, long-sleeved shirt, first aid kit, light sweater, camera that is free of flashlight, waterproof daypack and more.

When is the best time to go chimpanzee habituation in Kibale?

The best time to visit Kibale to enjoy the chimpanzee habituation experience is during wet or rainy season. This is the low season and the main activity the park trackers and other researchers engage in is habituating chimpanzees, etc. The low or off-season/months: May, April, May and October, and November. The dry season is also ideal for chimpanzee habituation: June, July, August, September or December, January to February.

Other best places to see chimpanzees in the wild while on Uganda safaris: Budongo Forest, Kalinzu Forest, Kyambura Gorge (Queen Elizabeth National Park), and Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve.