How many chimpanzees are in Kyambura gorge?
How many chimpanzees are in Kyambura gorge?: Kyambura gorge is an underground forest 100 meters and 156 sq. km wide in the famous Queen Elizabeth national park. The dense tropical forest of Kyambura gorge in the western part of Queen Elizabeth national park is home to 100 chimpanzee species. Kyambura gorge is the only habitat of habituated chimpanzees within Queen Elizabeth national park.
There are other chimpanzees in Maramagambo forest but these have not been habituated and can only be seen for a few minutes during the nature walk activities. Some of the 100 chimpanzees within Kyambura gorge have been habituated by a group of armed ranger guides and researchers and have gotten used to human presence around them.
About 6 chimpanzees were habituated in the begging but due to new births and deaths, the group has about 10 chimpanzees now fully habituated. This means that there is only 1 habituated chimpanzee family within Kyambura gorge of Queen Elizabeth national park.
The habituated chimpanzee family of Queen Elizabeth national park is trekked by a group of 8 people per session. Chimpanzee trekking is done in the morning and in the evening hours which means that a group of 16 people can trek Kyambura gorge chimpanzees. There are 16 chimpanzee trekking permits issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority a government body managing and controlling Queen Elizabeth national park activities.
How much does it cost to go chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge?
For any tourist to go chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge they will need to have a chimpanzee trekking permit. Apart from the chimp permit, they need transportation to the park ad accommodation f they are to stay there for a night or more. The cost of transport to Kyambura gorge depends on the mode used as there is road transport as well as air transport.
For accommodation fees, there are budget, mid-range, and luxury options which are of different prices. They range from $50 to $1000 and where to stay depends on your travel budget. Tourists will need about 2-3 days to go chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge and they can combine the activity with Queen Elizabeth national park activities. The total cost to go chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge will depend on the number of days.
How much are chimpanzee trekking permits?
Chimpanzee trekking permits for Kyambura gorge are very affordable as they go $50 for foreign non-residents, $40 for foreign residents, and UGX50,000 for east African citizens. The chimpanzee trekking permits are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority and they are sold to children above the age of 12 years old.
When to buy chimpanzee permits for Kyambura gorge?
Travelers can buy chimpanzee trekking permits for Kyambura gorge as early as 1 year before the safari. The latest one should buy the permits is 3-4 months before they sell out, especially in the dry season. During the dry season, a lot of tourists visit the Queen Elizabeth national park and always want to take visit to close relatives to human beings and this makes the permits sell out quickly.
How to book permits for chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge?
Tourists that are intending to go chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge can always use the operators to book for them permits. We assume that you have your tour operator already, they will use the dates of the month and year you will be in Queen Elizabeth national park to check for the availability of permits with the reservation office at Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Once the permits are available, they will let you know, and once you have confirmed the safari and paid a deposit some of the money shall be used for permit booking. You will be asked for your passport details or national identity card to confirm the origin of your country and then your permit shall be booked. You will find your chimpanzee trekking permit with your safari guide at the start of the safari.
best time to go chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge
Are you wondering about what could be the best time for Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge? Well, the best time to go chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge is the dry season from June to September and December to February. These months are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking arils dry and easily passable, the vegetation is short ad scattered with good views of the chimpanzees and other wildlife species while the roads leading to Kyambura gorge are in good condition.
Travelers can also go chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge during the rainy season and this favors budget travelers as they find the lodges at a discount. The rainy season is not the best time because it has a lot of rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, vegetation is short and scattered with good views of the chimpanzees and other wildlife while the roads leading to the park are in poor condition.
The chimpanzee trekking experience in Kyambura gorge
Kyambura gorge trekking starts early in the morning or afternoon with tourists gathering at the starting point. Tourists are taught the dos and don’ts of the chimpanzees trekking activity by the head guides. These trekkers are not more than 8 people and they are led by armed ranger guides who go deep into the jungle to search for where the chimpanzee family could be.
Searching and locating chimpanzees of Kyambura gorge takes 30 minutes to 3 hours and during this time tourists are able to meet different wildlife that lives in there. The trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the chimpanzees and time starts counting when they are spotted. During the one hour around chimpanzees, trekkers are able to learn about their habits, watch them do daily activities, take photos, and much more.
