Chimpanzees in Queen Elizabeth national Park are only found within the Kyambura gorge a beautiful chamber also known as the valley of apes, situated in the far Eastern corner of the national Park in South Western Uganda. Queen Elizabeth national Park is the second largest after Murchison falls national Park known for tree climbing lions, the 1978 square kilometre Park stretches through an open savannah and the unique gorge having a tropical forest. The park is place at an altitude between 910-1390m above sea level, it was gazette in 1952 as a way of protecting the species that lie within the protected eco-system.
The Kyambura receives water from river Kyambura often acting as an oasis to the animals in Queen Elizabeth national Park during the dry season, its rich in biodiversity generally noted for its High concentration of primates including the chimpanzee, it’s an all green valley covered in a tropical rain forest closet to the equator, it is a unique setup most people tend to miss out on their visit to the national Park a world of its own. Tracking chimpanzee is done on habituated families that are used to the presence of humans, the carry on their daily activities even when people are around, chimpanzee share up to 98% of the human DNA, closest to mankind, they are social, intelligent species with the ability to use tools, tracking begins in the morning and the gorge can be explored on foot under guidance from an experienced tour guide.
Besides chimpanzee there are other primates present in the gorge such as the black and white colobus monkey, baboons, vervet monkeys, there is a high chance of spotting them in the valley, it hosts some on the species of birds of the national Park for instance, African skimmer, Blue headed bee eaters, pink backed pelicans to mention a few, tracking chimpanzee can be done along side other activities of the national Park these include, Bird watching, boat cruise along the Kazinga channel, tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector South of Queen Elizabeth , experiential lion tracking, game drives and guided nature walks.
Chimpanzee in Kyambura are the second-best attraction in the park after the tree climbing lions, it calls for a physical fitness to do the tracking as it involves walking up ad downhill through the valley. It is located on the Eastern side of the park stretching over a distance of 16kilometers towards lake George. Queen Elizabeth national Park is approximately 7 hours’ drive via Mbarara-Kasese Road. It covers the districts of Kamwenge, Rukungiri, and Kasese. Chatter flights can be organised to the nearest airstrip from Entebbe or Kajansi.
The national Park to the south interconnects with the Kibale forest and Bwindi impenetrable national park, its advisable to carry boots, sunscreen, hats, long sleeved shirts and trousers and any other personal documents that may be need on a trip. There is available accommodation with the gorge and the national Park ranging from luxury to the best budget.
Please book with Lionking safaris Uganda.