Nyungwe national park in the south of Rwanda is one of the iconic destinations to track Chimpanzees in Rwanda. The park has two distinct places called Cyamudongo and Uwinka where most of the Chimpanzees are spotted.
Tracking these closest relatives of humans in the dense forest of Rwanda is a tricky and fun-filled activity which travelers can enjoy with the tips of their guides.
Tricks to track Chimpanzees:
Foot Prints:
The chimpanzees move inside the jungle with knuckle-walking leaving their knuckle prints which is helpful to track their exact location.
The nest:
Chimpanzee’s nests are very helpful to track them as they use tree branches and foliage to build nests that are used for sleeping. Once you spot a nest you can spot the chimps around to the place, while the nests are worth watching itself.
The dung of the Chimp:
The dung of the chimpanzee can help you to guess how recently a chimpanzee has been in the area.
Discard part of food:
When chimpanzees have their foods they leave discard parts of the fruit and the leaf’s wads which also help to track them.
Rules to follow when tracking Chimpanzees:
- Obey your guide
- If you found anything in the forest just leave it where you spotted it
- Don’t smoke
- Don’t provoke the chimpanzees
- Keep 8 meters distance while watching these primates
- Don’t eat or drink in front of Chimpanzees
- Speak in a low voice and don’t use flash while clicking pictures of them.
Chimpanzee Trekking Rwanda
The Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is one of the main primate tracking activities done in the jungles of East Africa. During the chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, the adventure takes travelers deep into the heart of Nyungwe National Park to see the close relatives of mankind as we share more than 98% of our DNA with the creatures. Whereas the country is renowned for the gorilla tracking adventures in the lush green tropical rainforests, chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda has become one of the most prominent Africa wildlife safaris/ Africa Holiday Trips attracting several visitors yearly.
In the best chimpanzee tracking destination in East Africa, the expectations are high and travelers are always looking forward to hiking into the thick vegetation to find the creatures. Moreover, the experience during the chimpanzee trekking is life changing due to the closeness that the people involved feel while around the chimps. Because of the uniqueness of this primate tracking adventure, many are visitors are interested in the finding the animals during the chimpanzee trekking safari in East Africa.
During this Rwanda wildlife safari/ Rwanda Holiday Tour, the exploration of the home of chimpanzees in East Africa unveils the untapped nature inside the residence of the wild animals. Exploring this wilderness of Nyungwe National Park comes in hand with amazing wildlife viewing and animals such vervet monkeys, black & white colobus, and other primate species are visible to the naked eye. This makes chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda a must do activity for those going for the Africa primate tracking safari.
Lastly, the chimpanzee trekking is by far the perfect introduction to the Rwanda Cultural Tours and it gives the opportunity to learn about the culture and traditions of the Kanyarwanda people. After the chimp tracking in Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park, travelers can go for a deeper study about the customs of the people and appreciate the rich cultures of the African people from folk songs, stories, food, dressing and much more.
The Best time for Chimpanzee trekking/tracking in Rwanda
Just like other wildlife experiences in East Africa, the best time for chimpanzee tracking/ trekking is during the dry months of June to September and December to February. This allow easy mobility through the thick vegetation and off roading from the main paths becomes less hectic and chimps can be seen easily in the short grasses and bushes.
Where to find chimps in Rwanda- Home of chimpanzees
For those looking forward to experiencing how it feels to be around wild chimpanzees, the home of the chimps in Rwanda is the Nyungwe National Park. The park hosts other wildlife like buffalos, elephants, monkeys and some of them are visible during the chimp tracking. As if this is not enough, the adventures inside the chimpanzee home in Rwanda introduces the people involved to more than 1000 species of trees.
Why You should Go Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda
Rwanda is one of the top wildlife destinations in Africa renowned for gorillas and the chimpanzee tours in Nyungwe. The attractions that many people admire about the country include; the open savannahs, the many hills and Virunga Volcanoes, lush green rainforests to mention.