Chimpanzees are active by day, spending the night asleep in a nest that it makes with branches and vines in a tree, well above the ground, safe from predators. The same nest may be used for several nights if the troop is not on the move.

Fruits like bananas, paw paws and wild figs make up the main part of the chimpanzee’s diet and about 7 hours a day may be spent feeding, either up trees or on the ground. After an early morning feed, a chimpanzee becomes less active and lounges about, nibbling the odd berry, leaf, and bud of a flower. Later in the afternoon, there is usually a more intensive feeding session.

Members of a troop spend many hours grooming each other, and themselves. Mothers carefully search the fur of their babies for foreign particles. Dirt, burrs, dried skin and ticks are plucked off and the splinters are removed by pinching them out with lips or fingers.

When chimpanzees meet after having been apart, they greet each other in a very human way, by touching, holding hands and kissing, They are very good tool users that is to say using sticks to extract honey, ants and termites from nests.

Chimpanzee tracking is not as challenging as gorilla tracking. In fact, these chimpanzees enjoy spending most of their time in tall trees since they eat fruits. Tracking of these chimpanzees is conducted very early in the morning and for that reason, tourists are advised to prepare in advance of their journey. Those interested in chimpanzee tracking are recommended to make their booking in time.

Chimpanzees are one of Uganda’s main attractions along with the mountain gorillas. Chimpanzee tracking is one of the most popular activities in Uganda the minimum age for chimpanzee tracking is 15, except in Kalinzu forest where it is 12 years.  It includes a 1-hour visit with a chimpanzee or a group or the All Day chimpanzee habituation experience also called CHEX.

Kibale forest is the foremost place for chimpanzee tracking and All Day chimpanzee habituation ( CHEX), but both can be done in Budongo forest. ( Budongo during the off-season) near Murchison falls park.

For the best chimpanzee tracking in Uganda, It is Kibale forest that wins. It is the best in Uganda since none of the tourists that come to Uganda has missed seeing the chimpanzee in Kibale forest, home of over 1,500 chimpanzees plus 12 other primates.

Another place where chimpanzee tracking can be carried out is Kalinzu forest near Queen Elizabeth National park. This is the second-best area for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda. Since it is handled by the forest ministry, the minimum age here is 12 years old. It is located near Queen Elizabeth national park and the tracking can be incorporated into a visit to the park.

The chimpanzees here have been habituated by Japanese researchers for over 20 years- they have done an excellent job habituating the chimpanzees here.

There are no quality lodging facilities here so you have to stay in queen Elizabeth park and a lodge near chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu is selected.

Chimpanzee tracking is also carried out in Budongo forest. The probability of seeing them exceeds 80% . Chimpanzee tracking takes place in the morning and afternoon. Habituation experience during the off-season.

The project here is overseen by the Jane Goodall institute and Uganda wildlife authority.

Budongo forest is near Murchison Falls Park in northern Uganda. It is easily added to any safari that takes in the park.