Chimpanzee Habituation Experience

This is the process of spending all day with chimpanzees in their natural setting. In Uganda so far the activity can be done in Budongo Eco Forest and Kibale National Park. Unlike normal chimpanzee tracking where visitors spend only one hour, with the habituation adventure experience a full day is spent. Humans learn more of their behaviors therefore.

In order to enjoy the experience, you have to be relatively strong and have an early breakfast. You will need to carry a packed lunch and enough water for the day. Then you will leave before dawn breaks into the forest, and go to the park headquarters for a briefing from your guide. They will take you through the DO’S and DONT’S when you are with these amazing apes. After this you will go to where Chimpanzees built their nests the night before.

The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience involves getting the chimpanzees used to the presence of humans. In other words to remove the fear of humans from the group of chimps. This process takes up to two years – and today you are part of that process by your all day presence in the forest. Years ago, it used to be that you had a 20% chance of seeing chimpanzees in the wild, today because of the habituation process that has increased to over 90%.

Your day will be full and your camera will fill up with quality pictures of the chimpanzees. And you will also learn to identify the chimps as individuals. This is done by their markings, and sometimes scars and other unique features that make them stand apart from rest.
The day ends as the chimpanzees climb into their newly built nests for the evening and you head back to your lodging for the evening.