Chimpanzee Tracking at Kyambura Gorge : Kyambura gorge is located in the North-Eastern side of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Gorge also known as Chambura Gorge/Valley of Apes is one of the most visited places for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda. The spectacular gorge straddles within the lush Kyambura Wildlife Reserve (156sq.kms) and it has a depth of about 100m, extending up to 11kms. The gorge is drained by River Kyambura and generally, it boasts of its splendid landscape, biodiversity consisting of birds, primates and other wildlife. River Kyambura runs through Kyambura Wildlife Reserve linking to Kazinga Channel.
The spectacular Kyambura Gorge is incredibly a significant natural wonder with diverse species of primates. The primate species worth keeping an eye while on Uganda safari in Kyambura Gorge include the red colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys.
Kyambura Gorge supports diversity of bird species making it a special birding destination of its own. The important bird species to expect to identify while on bird watching safari in Kyambura Gorge include African skimmer, African finfoot, black rumped buttonquail, African broadbill, pink backed pelican, papyrus gonoleks, blue headed bee-eater, marital eagle, flamingoes, bar tailed godwit, white winged warblers and falcons. Other birds that are sheltered within the Kyambura Gorge white tailed lark, verreaux’s eagle owl, Chapin’s flycatchers, black bee-eaters, white tailed larks.
Chimpanzee Tracking at Kyambura Gorge
Kyambura Gorge is one of the most fantastic places to visit in the Queen Elizabeth National Park area. It stretches for about 16kms long and is composed of a tropical rain forest and a savanna type of undergrowth that dominates the park and this whole area. Kyambura Gorge is also known as “the valley of Apes” with in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Chimpanzees can best be spotted in this place when you are on a trip in Queen Elizabeth National Park and at the lowest cost. The tall trees and the thick undergrowth are favorable for the mobile chimpanzees by providing the seasonal fruits that are a delicacy for the Chimpanzees.
The chimpanzees in this area have ben habituated and are available for tracking. Some of the chimpanzee groups are not habituated and may be a bit hard to track but the guides will help you access the habituated ones.
Chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge live in groups of 30-80 individuals feeding on forest seasonal fruits, buds, leaves, seeds, termites and sometimes feeding on the meat of small antelopes and birds. Kyambura Gorge is rich in all these different food species that make it easy for the Chimps to stick around. Some of the most interesting character of the Chimps is that it uses tools like sticks and stones to crash and hit their meal. This makes them more/less like humans as we share 98% DNA with them. Other primates found in Queen Elizabeth include; Baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and the Vervet monkeys that are seen during your drive through the park and as you enter the park.
Chimpanzee tracking experience
The activity starts in the morning or afternoon with a briefing that starts with the park staff guiding you on the way to carry on the activity. You are guided into the forest to search for habituated Chimpanzees deep in a thick forest where they spend their day feeding. The tracking exercise will normally take 2-4 hours deopending on the movement and location of the Chimps. On meeting the Chimps, you will be allowed to spend one full hour with them as you take pictures you want and having all your imaginations fulfilled at the sight of these close relatives of human beings in the forest.
Cost of Chimpanzee trekking at Kyambura Gorge
Nonresidents and foreign are charged $50 per person while the East African residents are required to pay only 30000 Uganda shillings for this exercise. This charge is such lower that the $200 charged for those tracking the habituated Chimpanzees in Kibale National Park for nonresidents. It should be noted that the presence of Chimpanzees at Kyambura gorge gives Queen Elizabeth National Park a higher advantage over other places especially if the visitors are interested in game driving activities and tracking the Chimpanzees.
Where to stay at Kyambura Gorge
Since Kyambura gorge is located within Queen Elizabeth national park, you can choose to stay at any of the accommodations while at Queen Elizabeth National Park. There are all categories of accommodation facilities ranging from high end, mid-range and budget facilities. Some of the places to stay include; Mweya Safari lodge, Kyambura Gorge safari lodge, Katara lodge and Jacana Safari lodge , Elephant Hub Lodge, Pumba Safari Cottages, Parkview Safari Lodge mong others.
Access to Kyambura Gorge.
If you are traveling from Entebbe or Kampala to Kyambura Gorge, you drive for 420kms / 6 to 7 hours’ drive for visitors taking the Masaka – Mbarara route. About 6 hours’ drive / 410 km if you drive from Kampala through Fort Portal.
By air, daily flights – scheduled or chartered flights set off from Entebbe Airport and Kajjansi Airfield near Kampala and land at Mweya Airstrip and Kasese Airstrip. Flights take about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
