Chimpanzees are among the great apes that live in the tropical rain forests of Africa. These great apes survive in only 21 countries in Africa including Uganda, DRC Sudan, Tanzania Senegal and Angola in the West. It should be noted that Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has the largest population, although chimpanzees have become extinct in some areas due to political instabilities, poaching, and diseases among others.
QUICK FACTS you should know about Chimpanzees
African chimpanzees grow to reach heights of 3 to 5 feet, and weigh up to 120 to 200 pounds. They are predominantly black, sometimes with gray color on their back after 20 years of age.
Chimpanzees are the most social of all the apes and live in communities or troops of between 15 and 120 individuals. Like fathers in homes, Chimpanzee troops are also headed by male chimps and elder chimps.
Their communities are often split into a number of subgroups with a male as the leader of the group.
Male chimps leave the community where they were born – they can form their own groups or join new troops.
Female chimps often migrate to a new community during an adolescent estrus period. In the process, they try to look for male chimps for mating and finally bare offspring.
Chimpanzees move mostly on the ground by knuckle walking.
Chimpanzees groom each other daily, and this activity has an important social function of calming and comforting individuals and solidifying their bonds with each other.
Mothers often move alone with their offspring.
Chimpanzees construct nests at night in which to sleep.
Chimpanzee males in the wild cooperatively hunt for meat.
Their diet is mainly fruits with regular amounts of insects, as well as birds and small mammals.
Chimpanzees are capable of using tools to gain access to food, such as fishing for termites with sticks fashioned for the job and cracking open nuts with anvil-like rocks. They use tools like sticks, stones and so on.
Females in estrus have a prominent swelling of the pink perineal skin that lastis two to three weeks and occurs every four to six weeks.
Females give birth every four to five years and their gestation period is eight to nine months.
Chimpanzees have a long mother-infant dependency period. Infants will nurse on their mothers for five years and stay with their mothers several more years learning to care for younger siblings.
The life span for chimpanzees is 40 to 50 years in the wild and over 50 to 60 years in captivity.
Where to See Chimpanzees in Uganda
Are you looking for a safari to see chimpanzees in Uganda? There are several national parks and forest reserves where you can enjoy chimpanzee tracking. There are also several Uganda safaris that focus on chimpanzee tracking within different places in Uganda. Here are the best places to see these great apes;
- Kibale Forest National Park
- Budongo Forest and Kaniyo Pabidi Forest in Murchison Falls Conservation Area
- Ngamba Island Sanctuary in the Lake Victoria
- Kyambura Game Reserve and Kalinzu Forest in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Uganda Wildlife Education Center
This is the nearest place to watch the chimps in Uganda since it is close to Entebbe International Airport. The center is a home to over 21 endangered chimpanzees that can be seen from behind the fence. Besides the chimps, the zoo is a home to other many wildlife species like lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffalos and any others.
Ngamba Island Sanctuary
Stretching over an area of approximately 100 acres, Ngamba island sanctuary stands as the best destination to see and learn about the chimpanzees. Located on Lake Victoria the forested island is a home to over 50 endangered chimps that can be watched from behind the fence. Ngamba island was established with an aim of rescuing and protecting the chimps from several situations like poaching, and others. As you get closer to the species, you will learn several things like their history, unique abilities, habits and many others.
Kibale forest national park
Known as a Primate capital of Uganda and East Africa at large, Kibale forest national park is top national park where chimpanzees can be watched. The park is a home to about 13 species of primates in its forested area and among these include over 1500 chimpanzee individuals. This big population of the species offers a trekker 100% chances of watching the chimps in their nature habitats.
Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park
Lying within the boundaries of Murchison falls national park, Budongo forest is one of the biggest forest reserves in the East African region. The forest is one of the destinations where one can see a large population of chimpanzees since it hosts over 100 individuals. While in the forests, the species are mainly watched from their home territory at Kaniyo Pabidi due to its large size and population of the chimpanzee individuals.
Also, Murchison falls national park also offers great sight of other different wildlife species like lions, elephants, leopards, spotted hyenas, and many others.
Kalinzu forest reserve
This is another destination in Uganda where once can watch the chimpanzees from. The forested area is near Queen Elizabeth national park and habitats more than 250 chimps thus providing an excellent experience to the wildlife viewers in the park.
Kyambura gorge
Located within Queen Elizabeth national park, Kyambura gorge is also another destination for chimpanzee watching in Uganda. The forest protects a small population of chimps which is about 60 thus making it difficult for the trekkers to spot them. During the chimpanzee trekking experience in the area, you can also spot other several wildlife species like elephants, lions, leopards, waterbuck, and many others since the gorge is located in the top wildlife destination – Queen Elizabeth national park.