The Ngogo Chimpanzee Sector in Kibale
The Ngogo Chimpanzee Sector is one of the famous sectors of Kibale National Park known for chimpanzee trekking. It became more famous after being filmed on Netflix under the title Movie Chimp Empire. The Ngogo Chimpanzee group is the largest chimpanzee community in the world. Travellers can encounter on their safaris in Kibale National Park. Shooting this movie in the park lasted over a year, and the production team was around the park. During the shooting of this movie, director James Reed said that they faced challenges like too much noise from the chimpanzees and difficulty keeping up with them.
James Reed, during the filming of this movie, worked with several scientists, researchers, trackers, and game rangers for a year to ensure quality production and filming. The crew was on the line of life and death, as they were supposed to shoot the movie’s scenes until the end. The crew tried their level best and captured every moment of the chimpanzee in the forest.
The Ngogo Chimpanzee Project
The Ngogo chimpanzee project was established by the government of Uganda and some other donors, ecologists, environmentalists, and researchers. The government of Uganda monitors the project through the Makerere University Biological Field Station in Kibale Forest National Park. This project started way back in 1972 when Thomas Struhsaker established the Ngogo research area. More so, the area has not faced any challenges like logging for commercial purposes. The project was led by prominent individuals. For instance, Thomas was part of the New York Zoological Society, which was aimed at protecting the forested areas and was home to several primates like the red-tailed monkeys, red colobus monkeys, grey check mangabeys, and many others from the forest loggers.
Currently, there are several Ugandan students and experts who are aiming to study the primates in the forest. They are under the monitoring and evaluation of Struhsacker and John Mitan of Yale and the University.
Life of the Ngogo Chimpanzee Community
The Ngogo Chimpanzee Community is one of the largest communities living in Kibale National Park. The community is made up of over 188 members as of April 2012. In this chimp population, there are over 32 adult males, 13 adolescent males, 58 adult females, 12 adolescent females, 27 juveniles, and about 46 infants.
How much is a permit to see the Ngogo Chimpanzee Community?
The Ngogo chimpanzee community can be encountered through chimpanzee trekking or habituation experiences. A chimpanzee trekking permit in the Kibale National Park costs about $250 for foreign nonresidents, $200 for foreign residents, and UGX180,000 for East African residents. There are 56 chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale National Park every day.
Alternatively, you can encounter chimpanzees through a habituation experience. Chimpanzee habituation is the process by which the chimpanzees are trained to get used to human presence. In this park, there are about 12 chimpanzee habituation permits every day. Chimpanzee habituation permits in Kibale are as follows: As of 2026, Foreign Non-Resident guests pay $300, $250 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 for East African residents. However effective 1st January 2027 the rates for Chimpanzee habituation permits have been revised to $400 for Foreign Non-Residents, $300 for Foreign resident guests and 250,000 ugandan shillings for the East African Citizens.
Chimpanzee habituation and Standard trekking permits in Kibale can only be booked through a fully Lincesed tour operator in Uganda like Native Africa Tours. Reach out to us to book your permits to see the Ngogo Chimpanzee family and create everlasting memories.
Filming the Ngogo Chimpanzee Community in Kibale National Park
Those interested in filming chimpanzees in the Ngogo Chimpanzee sector must acquire authorisation from the Uganda Media Council. You must present the documents below;
- a copy of a valid passport
- a downloaded filled G form that is also sent to the Uganda Media Council for accreditation.
- A colored passport photo should be attached to the G form.
- Official letter from the production unit to confirm that you are part of the team
How much is a filming permit in Uganda?
Uganda Media Council offers a working permit or card for filming chimpanzees in the Ngogo sector (Kibale National Park). The cost of these permits depends on the number of days you wish to spend.
- A permit that goes up to 30 days costs about 175 USD per crew member
- A permit that lasts about 6 months costs about 225 USD for each person in the crew.
- The permit for about 2 years costs about 325 USD for each crew member.
All these permits can be acquired in 2 to 3 days for travellers interested in the filming of the Ngogo chimpanzee community.
Accommodation in Kibale National Park
In the Kibale National Park, several accommodation facilities are available to provide a comfortable stay as you visit the Ngogo Chimpanzee Sector. These facilities are categorised into midrange, luxury, and budget. Some of the accommodation facilities include Kibale Forest Lodge, Chimpundu Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Turaco Treetops Lodge, Kibale Forest camp, Mountains of the Moon Lodge, and many others.
How to access the Ngogo Chimpanzee Sector in Kibale National Park?
The Ngogo Chimpanzee Sector can be accessed by both road and air transport. While using air transport, travellers can use the scheduled chartered flights from either Kajjansi Air Strip or Entebbe International Airport to the Kasese Airstrip. From Kasese, you are transferred by road to Kibale National Park in Fort Portal. This takes which takes about 2 to 3 hours of the day. On the other hand, using road transport, travellers use the Kampala – Fort Portal highway via Mubende. This route takes about 5 to 7 hours of the day to reach the park. Once you make it to the park headquarters (Kanyanchu), you follow the trail that takes you to the Ngogo Chimpanzee Sector.
