As you plan to encounter chimpanzees in Rwanda, consider visiting the Nyungwe Forest National Park. This park is situated in the southwestern part of Rwanda, on the border with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nyungwe Forest National Park also borders Lake Kivu, one of the largest freshwater bodies in Rwanda. It was established in 2004, covering a total area of about 1019 square kilometers of land.
This total area of land is made up of rainforests, bamboo, grassland, swamps, and bogs. In 2023, the park was also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
This park is considered to be the oldest rainforest in Rwanda. It is also dotted with several wildlife and some of these include 13 primate species,75 mammal species, and 300 bird species.
Primates are dominant in number that including LHost monkeys, colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, Angola colobus, red-tailed monkeys, chimpanzee, and many others. Chimpanzees are one of the dominant large primates around the park.
Chimpanzees are believed to share 98% DNA with humans. These chimpanzees are encountered during the chimpanzee trek.
The tracked chimpanzee undergoes habituation, which takes about two years in the jungle. This habituation process helps the chimpanzee to get used to the human presence.
In the Nyungwe Forest National Park, there are several chimpanzee families that you can encounter during safaris to Rwanda. Some of these chimpanzee families in Nyungwe Forest National Park include;
Cyamudongo Group
Cyamudongo group is situated within the Cyamudongo sector in the western Part of the Nyungwe Forest National Park. In this group, there are about 30 members.
Tracking of these chimpanzees in this sector is less challenging than in any other sector. This group is also situated within the Cyamudongo forest.
Uwinka group.
The Uwinka family is situated within the Uwinka sector, and it is the largest group that is situated within the Nyungwe Forest National Park. It is situated in the eastern part of the park.
Tracking this group starts at the park headquarters in the main forest of the park.
Gisovu group.
This is another group that is also housed within the north of Nyungwe Forest National Park which can also be encountered during the chimpanzee safaris in Rwanda. It is also one of the newest groups that can be tracked during a safari to the park.
Tracking of this family takes about 4 hours of the day, where you meet the chimpanzee, and though it is quite challenging. The Gisovu group is made up of over 60 members.
How is chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park done?
Chimpanzee trekking is one of the main primate activities in the Nyungwe Forest National Park. This activity starts with a briefing or orientation at the park headquarters early morning, at around 0500 hours.
In this orientation, you will be shown the dos and don’ts about the activity. Later, you will continue with the activity which will take about 2 to 8 hours of the day upon where you meet the chimpanzee.
Upon meeting the chimpanzee, you will have 1 hour viewing the chimpanzee maintaining a social distance of 7 meters.
What is required to engage in gorilla trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park?
To engage in chimpanzee trekking in the Nyungwe Forest National Park, you are supposed to have acquired a chimpanzee permit. This is a legal document that is issued by the Rwanda Development Board.
In this park, there are about 64 chimpanzee permits available each day. To acquire this permit, you are supposed to use a licensed and reliable tour operator to get the chimpanzee permit.
How much is a chimpanzee permit in Rwanda?
To see the chimpanzee, you are supposed to have acquired a chimpanzee trekking permit that is obtained before the tour or on the day of tracking. This helps to ensure availability on the day of tracking since the chimpanzee permits are limited in number. The cost of the chimpanzee permit in Rwanda includes 150 USD for foreign non-residents, 75 USD for Foreign residents, and 25 USD for East African residents.
The chimpanzee permit in Nyungwe doesn’t include the park entrance. The park entrance fees to the Nyungwe Forest National Park include 100 USD for foreign residents, 60 USD for foreign non-residents, and 20 USD for East African residents.
Where to stay during the chimpanzee trekking safaris in Nyungwe Forest National Park?
On a safari to Nyungwe Forest National Park, considering where to stay during the safari, the park is dotted with several accommodation facilities that are around the several tracking points. These facilities are ranked from Budget to Luxury.
Some of these facilities include One &Only Nyungwe house , Nyungwe top view lodge, Kitabi eco centre, Gisuka guest house, Rebo kivu hotel, Kivu Macho hotel, Kay sun hotel, Rwiza village guest house, and many others.