Trekking chimpanzees in Uganda’s tropical rainforests promises dramatic encounters with one of the most fascinating great apes to walk this planet. With a good number of troops habituated for tourism within their natural habitat, Uganda offers a unique ability to combine a good selection of wildlife viewing experiences with watching wild chimps and gorillas in a single itinerary.
Small groups of selected trekkers set off daily across the forest floor at 7:30 am and reach a noisy chimpanzee community habituated for human visits about half an hour later. Local trackers who lead the chimpanzee trekking excursions track the chimps by following a trail of knuckle prints, dung, and half-digested fruit.
Very soon, you’re in the center of lawless primates acting like a bunch of six-year-olds on a sugar high. You, then, spend the next hour watching the chimps feed, play, laugh, hug, kiss, and fornicate. The drama unfolds as male chimps hold fight bouts, slap hollow buttress roots, and chase each other, jostling for a seat at the top of the hierarchy.
The guides allow tourists to observe them from a 7-meter distance, avoiding loud noise, sudden movement, standing, shaking branches, and staring directly into their eyes. Still and all, tempting to gaze into the eyes of a wild creature that shares 98.4 percent of our DNA will change your deepest thoughts and feelings about the great Apes of Africa.
