Sebitoli Chimpanzee Sector in Kibale National Park
The Sebitoli Chimpanzee Sector is one of the best places to see chimpanzees in Kibale National Park. This sector is located in the northern part of the Kibale National Park. Kibale National Park is located in western Uganda. More so, Kibale National Park is considered to have the highest chimpanzee population in Africa. If you plan to do a chimpanzee trekking tour in Kibale National Park, chances are that you will visit the Sebitoli sector of this forest.
Chimpanzees are large primates that share about 98% of their DNA with humans. Kibale National Park comprises more than 13 species of chimpanzee. Sebitoli Chimpanzee Sector covers an area of 766 square kilometers. This area is dominantly covered by secondary forests taking over 70% and the other percentage is covered by mature forests, patchy vegetation, and swamps. The Sebitoli sector is home to multiple wildlife like the red colobus monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and many others.
Activities done in the Sebitoli Chimpanzee Sector in Kibale National Park
While in the sorbitol chimpanzee sector, there are several activities that travelers can engage in during the safaris and they include;
Chimpanzee Trekking
Chimp tracking is one of the major activities that tourists on their safaris usually do in the Sebitoli sector. Tracking chimpanzees offers a close encounter with chimpanzees – an interaction that is not common. Chimpanzees in the Sebitoli Sector are first habituated for them to get used to human presence. The habituation process takes about 2 years. If you want to spend more time in this sector, you may opt for chimpanzee habituation rather than trekking. Please note that one must have a valid permit to do either chimpanzee trekking or habituation in the Sebitoli sector of Kibale National Park.
Chimpanzee Habituation
The chimpanzee trekking experience in Kibale involves tourists visiting a particular chimpanzee family or group that has not been declared open for trekking. Such families are not necessarily hostile but they have not yet been used to human presence. The continuous process of habituation gradually introduces chimps to humans. The process goes on and on until experts declare it valid for trekking. Sebitoli sector is one of the famous sectors with unhabituated families in Kibale National Park. Visit Kibale National Park now and create everlasting memories as you track these magical primates.
Birding excursions
The Sebitoli sector is considered to be a birding haven for travelers interested in birds. There are over 370 species that travelers encounter on their safaris. Some of these species include blue-headed bee-eaters, green-breasted pitta, western actor, great blue turaco, white-naped pigeon, piapac, African pitta, after pigeon, and many others.
Nature Walks
Nature walks or safari walks are one of the activities that travelers engage in the park on foot under the guidance of the ranger guide. The use of the ranger guide ensures your safety during the safari and the wildlife encountered include the elephants, buffaloes, olive baboons, and many others.
How much is a chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale National Park?
A chimpanzee trekking permit is a legal document that allows travelers to see and interact with chimpanzees in any national park in Uganda. Chimpanzee permits are purchased from licensed tour operators like Native Africa Tours. These permits are limited in number since only 8 people are allowed to visit a particular family per day. Due to the conservation efforts put in place. The price of the chimpanzee trekking permit costs about 250 USD for the foreign nonresidents, 200 USD for the foreign residents and the rest of the African residents, and 180,000 Ugandan shillings for the East African residents.
In this park, there are about 56 chimpanzee trekking permits for the morning session and 36 chimpanzee trekking permits for the evening sessions. More so, travelers can acquire a habituation permit to see the chimpanzee and these permits are about 12 in number. The cost of a chimpanzee habituation permit is about 300 USD for the foreign nonresidents, 250 USD for the foreign residents and rest of Africa, and 250000 Ugandan shillings for the east African residents.
Accommodation in Kibale National Park
If you plan to visit the Sebitoli region for chimpanzee trekking, you may need to spend a night or two at any of the lodges or accommodation facilities within or near the park. The accommodation facilities range from budget to mid-range and luxury. Below are some of the best suggestions. Kibale Forest Lodge, Chimpundu Lodge, Kibale Forest Lodge, the Mountains of the Moon Lodge, Volcanoes Lodge, Nyanza Community Lodge, Ndali Lodge, and many others.
How to access the Sebitoli sector in Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is accessed by both road and air transport. While using road transport, travelers take about 5 to 6 hours of the road to reach the park. You use the Fort Portal -Kampala Highway. Whereas using air transport, travelers can take scheduled flights from the Kajjansi Airstrip or the Entebbe International Airport to the Kasese Airstrip in western Uganda. From the airstrip to the park, you only drive for 2 hours.
What is the best time to visit the Sebitoli Chimpanzee Sector?
Kibale National Park is open to tourists throughout the year. However, many consider the dry seasons (June to September and December and February) as the best time of the year to visit. During this time, there is less rain and walking trails in the forests are less slippery. More so, there is little undergrowth and this guarantees scenic views for chimps and provides an ample environment for photography.
