Before the civil and political unrest in the region, Ugandans never ate chimpanzees as food, or even reared them as pets, but they learnt these habits from people who migrated into the country, or fled the political instability in Democratic republic of Congo into Uganda.
Sometimes chimpanzees have been caught in snares meant for other animals such as antelopes, and many of these snares are deadly enough to kill the clueless chimpanzees.
There are only 21 countries in Africa where you can find chimpanzees in the wild. Uganda is one of those countries. It is actually the best place in east Africa to see chimpanzees. In west and central Africa, there is a lot of human encroachment on chimpanzee habitats, and hunting of chimpanzees for meat, which will eventually bring down the number of countries that have chimpanzees in the wild if those activities are not controlled.
If you are looking to see chimpanzees in east Africa, Uganda is the best choice you could ever make. With various forests and national parks, this trip, 5 Days Gorilla Safari & Chimpanzees there are many places where you can see chimpanzees in Uganda.
Uganda has various forests and national parks in which chimpanzees can be found. You can either choose to go chimpanzee tracking, or a chimpanzee habituation experience. Some parks offer one options, some offer both.
Here are some of the national parks and forests you can visit if you want to see chimpanzees in Uganda.
Kibale national park, Budongo forest- Murchison Falls national park, and Kyambura gorge-Queen Elizabeth National park, are some of the places where you can see gorillas in Uganda.
Every now and then, you might come across a chimpanzee outside a national park such as in the Buniga forest, the Bigodi wetlands sanctuary, and the Bwindi impenetrable forest.
The best places to have a chimpanzee tracking experience or a habituation experience is in the parks. Habituated chimpanzees are accustomed to human presence and will not run off when they sense or see you approach, but will stay put and you can see them and take pictures, from a distance of course.
To go on any chimpanzee adventure in Uganda, you need a chimpanzee permit, for each park you visit. Permit prices vary with each park.
