Published 8th Oct. 2024
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Seeing chimpanzees in their natural habitat is an awe-inspiring experience that should be high up on many people’s bucket lists. With approximately 300,000 chimps left in the equatorial forests of Africa, there are plenty of places set up for amazing ape viewing. What could be better than getting up close and personal with our cousins with whom we share 98% of our DNA? We asked our Africa team for their insider intel on where to see chimpanzees in the wild…
1. Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania
2. Kibale Forest National Park, Uganda
3. Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda
4. Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania
5. Kaniyo Pabidi, Uganda
First up on where to see chimpanzees in the wild is Tanzania's Mahale Mountains National Park. Although the park is home to the world's largest habituated wild group of chimpanzees, it remains a relatively unknown (and unspoilt) destination. For the ultimate trip to Tanzania, pair a safari in the Serengeti and some beach time in Zanzibar with a few days of chimp trekking near the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Enjoy a private guided hike into the neighbouring mountains, crossing lush river valleys and bypassing tumbling waterfalls as you wind your way through the forest in search of the magnificent chimps.
In Kibale Forest National Park, join an expert guide for a full-day 'nest-to-nest' trek with the resident wild chimpanzees (there are five different habituated groups). There’s plenty of trekking and searching involved, but getting to see the chimps interact and work together to build their nest will no doubt be the highlight of this experience. While you're here, Kibale also boasts great black and white colobus monkey, red-tailed monkey and grey-cheeked mangabey spotting. There are 13 different primate species found in the park alone, plus a host of more traditional big game too. If that wasn't enough, gorillas can also be spotted in the nearby Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Next up on where to see chimpanzees in the wild is deep in the heart of the 386-square mile pristine rainforest of Nyungwe National Park. Here live a large group of habituated wild chimpanzees; join specialist guides and trek past giant ferns and old mahogany trees to find the cheeky chimps, spotting some of the 310 different bird species as you go. For ape aficionados who want to pair chimpanzee trekking with mountain gorilla trekking, Volcanoes National Park in the north of the country is one of our favourite places to do so. It makes Rwanda a one-stop-shop destination for ape activities.
Made famous by Dr Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking chimpanzee research in the 1960s, Gombe Stream National Park is an iconic destination in the primate world. Although most well-known for its scientific contributions in the field, there’s still ample ape viewing to be had in Gombe Stream. Nestled on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, follow in Jane’s footsteps and visit this iconic Tanzanian park for an incredible chimp-viewing experience. Make sure your fitness levels are up to scratch, however, as trekking conditions can be challenging (think scrambling through thick foliage up steep inclines and down into deep valleys). In our opinion, this makes the ape encounters all the more rewarding.
The last spot on our list of where to see chimpanzees might fly under the radar, but that doesn’t make it any less special. Kaniyo Pabidi in Budongo Forest Reserve is conveniently located en route to the fabulous Murchison Falls National Park, meaning it’s easy to combine big game viewing with chimpanzee trekking. Who said you can’t have the best of both worlds? You’ll have the highest chance of seeing chimps during the summer months when food is in abundance and the forest is flourishing.
Written by Hannah Whitehall
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