Chimpanzee tracking
This is quite a thrilling activity, basically about talking a walk through the forest with the hope of sighting some primates. The experience is exhilarating as one watches the primates winging around from branch to branch.
Queen Elizabeth National park has five eminent habitats to these primates ranging from thick forests like Kyambura to the swamps along the Kazinga channel.
The Kyambura gorge which is in the eastern side of Queen Elizabeth near the equator is also known as the valley of apes is blessed with a thick forest that is quite a sight for sore eyes. This vegetation is commendatory to the chimpanzee way of living. The tall thick trees in the forests bear fruits that are jewel prize for the chimpanzees.
The chimpanzees in the kyambura gorge are the most ambulant therefore one stands a better chance of sighting more chimpanzees there. They are also habituated and are therefore not afraid of humans and can go on with their day to day life even in the presence of people. The tracking experience therefore is made more magical as one sees the chimpanzees swinging around on the trees. The bulding of nests by the chimpanzees is made easier due to the fact that the trees have bendable branches.
What you should know before gorilla tracking
Chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura gorge is done with a professional guide at a cost of 30US$ which is an equivalent of 37,000UGShs. The professional guide is paid 20US$ to guide you through the habituation process. However stand warned that the roads in Queen Elizabeth national park may not be favorable to all vehicles especially non four wheel drive in the rainy season.
The most ideal time for chimpanzee tracking is the morning at around 7 to8 am as most of the chimpanzees are out to hunt and sunbathe. The activity best suites children above 15 years and those below that are prohibited from the tracking area.
Behavior of chimpanzees.
They chimpanzees live in unisex groups of about 30 to 70 called troops. The leaders are usually in smaller groups. They chew leaves and use them as sponges after to suck water from the Kazinga channel where one can get a chance to look at them while on a boat cruise.
Chimpanzees relate a lot to the human lives as they have ways of gathering their food they use twigs to poke anthills and collect termites. The twigs are used for protection too. They also collect nuts from the roots of trees.
It is really a wonderful experience looking at the chimpanzees eating their fruits because it is so different from how humans do it. They also feed on meat which they get from smaller monkeys and flamingoes along Lake Nyamunuka.
Rules and guidelines for chimpanzee tracking
- Avoid tracking when sick because chimpanzees easily contract human diseases.
- Do not litter the park. The chimpanzees may eat the litter and get complications.
- Do not excrete anywhere inappropriate in the park as this may damage the eco system.
- Try to be as quiet as possible. Noise scares the animals and the more noise you make the less animals you will see.
- Do not imitate the chimpanzees because this may upset them.
- Do not eat next to the chimpanzees or feed them.
- Be careful not to do flash photography of the chimpanzees as the flash may scare them.
Other wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National park
Red tailed monkeys: these are quite jumpy and interesting to look at.
Baboons, black and white colubus monkeys, vervet monkeys.
Accommodation
Accommodation should be the least of your worries as queen Elizabeth offers a wide range of facilities from luxurious lodges to camping sites. These include Mweya Safari lodge, Kyambura gorge safari lodge, jacana safari lodge, king fisher camp and many others.
