Chimpanzee Tracking in Uganda

Chimpanzee tracking allows visitors to observe chimpanzees during their daily activities. The chimpanzees are habituated to humans, which means they are relatively unaffected by human presence. A guide, with the assistance of one or more trackers, leads the group in the forest and attempts to locate the chimpanzees. Depending on the time of day, you may witness chimps de-nesting in the early morning, eating, playing, or resting throughout the day, or building their overnight nests in the evening. The hiking is mainly on established trails, however once chimpanzees are found, you may be off trail, in areas of thick vegetation or steep slopes. The entire experience may last up to four hours, however the time with the chimpanzees is limited to one hour.

While most clients primarily want to track chimpanzees, during the tour there are also opportunities to see other primates, such as the black & white colobus, blue monkey, red tailed monkey or the grey cheeked mangabey.

The following rules apply when chimpanzee tracking:

  • Keep a distance of approximately 25 feet between you and the chimpanzees
  • Do not provoke the chimpanzees in any way
  • People with communicable diseases are not allowed to participate in a chimpanzee tracking tour
  • Do not eat or drink near the chimpanzees
  • The use of flash photography is prohibited
  • Children below the age of 12 are prohibited