Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda

While gorilla trekking is an exhilarating activity that leaves tourists breathless, chimpanzee trekking offers almost the same feeling to travelers because they are all primates in the ape family. Rwanda is not only an array for gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park but also offers chimpanzee trekking activities in both Gishwati-Mukura National Park and Nyungwe National Park with the highest population of primates.

Scenic lush forests of Gishwati and Mukura are just what the 20 groups of chimps found in this park need to sustain them. One of the largest protected mountain forests in Africa also inhabits the pristine chimpanzees in its verdant Nyungwe forest where some groups are found in Cyamudongo and about 30 individuals in a group found at Uwinka with about 60 members. Tourists should be assured that they will collect very rich moments if they chose to undertake chimpanzee trekking experience in Rwanda.

Uniqueness of the experience.

Chimpanzee tracking enthusiasts are very much in love with the enchanting views and quaking sounds given by these individuals as they aim for the sky and clamp themselves from one branch to another. This arboreal behavior of chimpanzees playing and relaxing in the trees makes this activity unique from gorilla tracking.

Visitors also enjoy limitless time with the apes after they have located them. Unlike their gorilla relatives whose permits only allows for one hour of watching them, travelers can observe chimps for as long as they need in their habitats while they feed, communicate and do all their activities similar to how humans do theirs.

Trackers move ahead through the verdant forests to locate troops of chimpanzees. Most primate tracking tours are done in such a way that guides move with tourists to respective habitats since they have known about their existence. But chimpanzee tracking can be overwhelming if it’s undertaken in a similar way, therefore trackers locate these creatures earlier and notify guides who move around with tourists about their current location.

Unlike other dazzling safaris that entice travelers to visit during the dry season, chimpanzee trekking can be done during wet season due to the ease of spotting these creatures since there is plenty of food while the showers fall down all the way from heaven and bless the lush green forests that inhabit the apes.

How is chimpanzee trekking done?

• Tourists sighting these apes swinging in twigs and boughs of trees is a hair-rising moment that tourists cannot afford to miss out which makes this activity quite fascinating than other primate treks.
• Usually, trekkers are supposed to first meet up from the reception with their guides before the activity is underway for a briefing and ensure that all the trekkers have permits and are above 16 years of age and averagely fit for the trek.
• Unlike gorillas that are mostly found all in the same place, chimp tracking can be tiresome considering the fact that they prefer playing and swinging in tree branches therefore there is a group of trackers that moves ahead than the tourists to locate them. While they are up close with them, they notify guides who lead visitors through the thick shrubs and slapping tree branches to where the groups are sighted.
• Locating the chimps is epitome of this activity because travelers are chanced with boundless time to observe, watch and enjoy these apes much closely in their habitats as they communicate, feed and associate with one another in a human behavioral character that is dazzling and only leaves visitors as story tellers and meant to believe that life is a trip but traveling is living twice.

Best time to do chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda.

It is peculiar that unlike other safaris, chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda may be best done during the wet season that stretches from October to May. It’s not a surprising activity that wildlife species migrate during the dry season looking for food, therefore a safari during the wet season sounds overwhelming but is worthwhile because chimpanzees are readily available in the thick shrubs of Rwandan forests due to the plenty of food available.