Primates in Uganda.
Primates in Uganda: With the largest concentration of both habituated and non-habituated primate species in Africa, Uganda is a popular travel destination. Twenty primate species can be found in Uganda, including thirteen in Kibale Forest National Park.
These include chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, yellow-cheeked mangabeys, dwarf galagos, blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, patas monkeys, bush babies, and pottos, among others. The endangered mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and the unusual golden monkeys are the most well-known primates in Uganda.
Ugandan primate watching destination
Because it is home to endangered mountain gorillas that may be seen during gorilla trekking, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of Uganda’s primate watching hotspots. Trekking begins early in the morning with a training on the laws and regulations to be followed. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is renowned for housing half of the world’s mountain gorilla population.
Because mountain gorillas like to roam about in search of food, gorilla trekking may take anywhere from 30 minutes to 7 hours, depending on the gorillas’ location. You will be able to see various bird species, other primate species, and more while trekking. After you locate the gorillas, you will be able to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat, where you can observe their daily activities, take pictures and videos, and learn about their habits and behaviors.
The Gorillas of Bwindi
Gorilla habituation is an exciting practice in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where wild mountain gorillas are tamed to get used to human presence for hiking. The gorilla habituation experience is a full-day activity that allows you to spend four hours in the gorillas’ habitat after they are located. This allows you to observe and learn about the gorillas, take part in the naming process, watch them feed, nurse, and groom their young, as well as take pictures.
A gorilla habituation permit costs 1,500 USD per person for foreign non-residents, 1,000 USD per person for foreign residents, and 750,000 UGX per person for East African citizens. In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, a gorilla trekking permit costs 800 USD per person for foreign non-residents, 700 USD per person for foreign residents, and 300,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
Because it is home to mountain gorillas that may be seen during gorilla trekking, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is another primate watching attraction in Uganda. Similar to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to a single habituated gorilla family and is open for daily trekking.
Gorilla trekking begins early in the morning. You will be able to see various animals while hiking, and once you find the gorillas, you will be able to spend an hour with them in their natural environment.
Golden monkey trekking, an exciting and busy activity that begins early in the morning with a briefing on the laws, regulations, and expectations at the park headquarters, is another reason why Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is well-known for its distinctive golden monkeys. Following the briefing, you will begin hiking into the jungle along paths made of leftover bamboo shoots and leaves.
Depending on where the golden monkeys are, this walk might take anywhere from thirty minutes to three hours. You will be permitted to spend an hour with the golden monkeys in their natural habitat when you have found them. Visitors may spend four hours with the golden monkeys at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park as part of their golden monkey habituation experience.
The price of a golden monkey trekking permit is 60 USD for non-resident foreigners, 60 USD for residents, and 40,000 UGX for East African nationals. The price of a golden monkey habituation permit is 100 USD for non-resident foreigners, 100 USD for residents, and 100,000 UGX for East African nationals.
With 13 different monkey species, including over 1,500 chimpanzees, Kibale Forest National Park is one of the most popular places in Uganda to see primates. The most popular activity in Kibale Forest National Park is chimpanzee trekking, which begins early in the morning at the Kanyachu Visitors Center with an orientation on the park’s laws and regulations.
Following the lecture, you and a knowledgeable park guide will begin your journey into the jungle in search of chimpanzees. Depending on their location, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park may take anywhere from thirty minutes to four hours. While trekking, you can see several primate species, birds, and flora, among other things.
You will be permitted to spend an hour with the chimpanzees in their natural environment if they have been located. Additionally, Kibale Forest National Park provides chimpanzee habituation, allowing guests to spend four hours with the primates as they experience the process.
The cost of a chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale Forest National Park is $250 USD for non-resident foreigners, $200 USD for residents, and 200,000 UGX for East African nationals. The cost of a chimpanzee habituation permit is $250 USD for non-resident foreigners, $250 USD for residents, and 150,000 UGX for East African nationals.
Other places in Uganda to see primates include the Toro-semuliki game reserve, the Kalinzu woodland, the Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Budongo woodland in Murchison Falls National Park, where you may see chimpanzees.
You can reserve permits for gorilla, golden monkey, and chimpanzee trekking in Uganda directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) or through a reputable tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris. Tell us the date, month, year, and primate destination you want to visit. After getting in touch with us, we will verify if permits are available on the dates you have selected. If they are, you will be required to pay a deposit. As soon as the funds are received, we will buy the permits for you and confirm with a scanned copy of the receipt.
The ideal time to visit Uganda to see primates
Although it is possible to see primates in Uganda at any time of year, the ideal time to do so is during the dry season, which is also referred to as the peak season, which lasts from June to February. In contrast to the wet/rainy season, when the trails are muddy and slippery, making trekking challenging, access roads, gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, and chimpanzee trekking trails will be dry and passable during the dry season because there is less rainfall in the primate destinations.
