Updated
Yes, chimpanzees live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, alongside its mountain gorillas. Their presence is not new: chimps have been known in Bwindi for decades, and researchers working near Ruhija in the 1990s and 2000s studied how the two apes share the same forest. Bwindi is one of very few places where mountain gorillas and chimpanzees live together, but its chimps are not habituated for tourism, so visitors usually only hear them or see signs of them. To see chimpanzees up close, go to Kibale.
Two apes in one forest
Gorillas and chimpanzees overlap in many lowland forests of Central Africa, but in the mountain gorilla’s range only Bwindi has a sizeable chimpanzee population. Studies near Ruhija by the primatologist Craig Stanford and Ugandan colleagues found that both apes eat ripe fruit when it is available, sometimes visiting the same trees, but gorillas fall back on leaves, stems and bark when fruit is scarce, while chimps travel further to find fruit. This difference in diet reduces direct competition. Encounters between the two species are rare and usually peaceful. See our guide to mountain gorilla habitat.
How many chimps live in Bwindi?
Bwindi’s chimpanzee population is much smaller and less studied than Kibale’s, which numbers around 1,500. Chimps are spread across several communities in the forest and, like the gorillas, depend on the park’s protection, as the surrounding land is densely farmed. Because they are not habituated, they flee from people, and researchers count them mainly from nests and signs.
Will I see chimps on a gorilla trek?
Probably not, though you may hear their loud pant-hoots echoing across a valley, especially in Buhoma and Ruhija, and guides sometimes point out chimp nests high in the trees. No chimp tracking is offered in Bwindi. Gorilla permits cost US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November. See our guide to Bwindi’s sectors.
Where to see chimpanzees in Uganda
Kibale National Park offers the most reliable chimp tracking, with permits at US$250, rising to US$300 from 1 January 2027. Other options are Budongo Forest near Murchison Falls and Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth, where sightings are less certain, and the Ngamba Island sanctuary for rescued chimps. Many itineraries combine Kibale chimps with Bwindi gorillas. See our guides to chimp tracking in Kibale and Uganda’s primate circuit.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, a population has long been known there, living alongside the gorillas.
No. They are not habituated; Kibale is the place for chimp tracking.
Encounters are rare and usually peaceful; differences in diet reduce competition.
Mainly in lowland forests of Central Africa, such as in Congo and Gabon.
