Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest is an act that sees visitors venturing through the canopies of thickets for a chance to encounter habituated chimpanzee communities. Chimpanzee trekking does not have an estimated time since the chimpanzees are very mobile. However, visitors are entitled to an hour in the presence of chimpanzees upon locating them.
Trekking chimpanzees in Budongo Forest offers an intimate time to get closer to the wild chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are our closest cousins in the wild, raising to a 98% DNA similar to humans. Therefore, it is very special to encounter them going about their daily chores like eating, resting, and grooming their young. Chimpanzees are very intelligent, therefore possess incredible skills like the use of tools, thus spotting them in the act is very impressive.
Unlike other chimpanzee destinations in the country that are managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, chimpanzee trekking in Budongo is managed by the Budongo Eco Lodge. This lodge shares this management with the National Forestry Authority. This authority is responsible for overseeing all the forests and forest reserves in the country.
For a specific chimpanzee community to be cleared for chimpanzee trekking, it goes through a 3-4 years of constant process of chimpanzee habituation. This process sees the wild chimpanzees that were once scared of humans or saw them as a threat to getting accustomed to their presence.
The first phase of habituation of these chimpanzees, these primates flee upon seeing the humans. Later, their stay but remain very alert by not feeding and observing the human movements. After several attempts, the chimpanzees then remain and look unbothered by the human presence. These successive actions led the chimpanzee community to be finally declared habituated.
An average number of about 8 people is allowed to trek chimpanzees on a daily basis. Budongo Forest is known to have only two habituated chimpanzee communities. Therefore, only 16 chimpanzee permits are available per day.
Allowing only 8 people to track chimpanzees daily is to reduce stressing the chimpanzees. And on a conservation part, many people would destroy the nature of the forest through stamping. However, few people reduce negatively affecting the forest.
How is chimpanzee trekking in Budongo done?
Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest is done in two sessions, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. The process of chimpanzee trekking in Budongo starts with a quick briefing done at the forest headquarters in Kaniyo Pabidi. This pre-trekking briefing is done to prepare the visitors for the activity and what they should expect.
This briefing further highlights the specifics, such as the rules and regulations, and the expected code of conduct while in the presence of the chimpanzee primates. Some of these rules and regulations include some of the following.
- Do not point at the chimpanzees
- Always maintain silence
- Do not imitate the vocalizations of chimpanzees
- Do not eat or drink in the presence of chimpanzees
- Human waste must be buried at least a meter deep
- Visitors must wear a mask before trekking the chimpanzees, etc.
Some of the above rules and regulations are meant to protect the chimpanzees and also the visitors because these chimpanzees are still wild with very unpredictable behaviours.
Brief insight into Budongo Forest
Budongo Forest is located in the Murchison Falls Conservation Area. This conservation area encompasses Budongo Forest and Murchison Falls National Park. Budongo Forest is the largest natural tropical rainforest not just in Uganda but also in East Africa. Budongo remains an iconic forest in the region with the largest concentration of mahogany trees. These trees date back thousands of years.
Budongo Forest spans 825 square kilometers of natural forest covering parts of Hoima and Kikuube districts. The forest hosts over 465 species of trees, with some as old as 200 years and as tall as 80 meters. These trees a secret delicacy for the Budongo central forest. This forest also has a high concentration of wildlife and birdlife.
The diversity of Budongo Forest is not limited to the flora species but also the fauna species as well. Over 360 bird species nest across the ranging ecological systems of this forest. 24 species are mammals, and primates alone account for 9 species on this mammal number. The chimpanzee primates are the face of this forest.
Budongo Forest hosts over 600 recorded individual chimpanzees. This means that Budongo has about 4 chimpanzee communities. However, not all these chimpanzees are habituated, and it is estimated that only 100 are habituated. Budongo and Kibale Forest National Park remain the only destinations in Uganda that offer chimpanzee habituation.
Chimpanzee habituation in Budongo was initially done by the Jane Goodall Institute, especially in the Kaniyo Pabidi chimpanzee community. Habituation and management later went back to the Budongo Eco Lodge. The Kaniyo Pabidi community has over 100 chimpanzees and is the most visited community.
How much is a chimpanzee permit in Budongo Forest?
A chimpanzee permit in Budongo Forest costs USD 130 for all international visitors. A chimpanzee permit is a document that grants visitors a chance to encounter these chimpanzees in their natural environment and spend an hour with them. The entrance into the park is excluded from this cost.
Budongo Forest is located in Murchison Falls National Park, just a few minutes from the main park entrance of Kichumbanyobo gate. Therefore, visitors must pay the entrance fees of Murchison Falls National Park before going to the forest for chimpanzee trekking.
Booking a chimpanzee permit is quite an easy process and can be done through a trusted local company like Monteero Safaris. We don’t stop at buying you the chimpanzee permit, but we further organize your entire trip.
What is the best time for chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest?
The dry season, which is also the peak tourism season, is the best time to have a chimpanzee experience in Budongo. However, this experience can be done all year-round since the forest is always open. Uganda has an unpredictable weather and climate series therefore, sometimes the seasons change. This means it may rain heavily in the dry season and shine strongly in the wet season. The dry season takes place from June to September and from December to February.