Looking to meet Uganda’s primates? Uganda is one of the best destinations where tourists can catch a glimpse into the primate world. From the popular gorilla safaris to chimpanzee watching expeditions, there are lots of adventures that await you on your next holiday in East Africa. Here are the most popular primates watching encounters that you should not miss in Uganda;
Mountain gorilla tracking
Mountain gorilla tours highlights all other African safari adventures. These are widely known the mot world endangered wild species and the larger among primate species, gorillas are one species which are very sensitive to nature that can’t be kept in captive/zoo. They’re endemic to steep tropical rain forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Virunga forests covering countries of Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo.
Mountain gorillas feed only on green, share almost 98% of the Human DNA but known for having a weaker immune system that even a simple cold cough can lead to their death. Mountain gorilla everyday they make new nest to have their overnight and early morning tend to wander away extimated to move for about 3/4km as they feed. They live in families and every family is led by a dominant silverback.
Mountain gorillas before they are ready for tracking first undergo into habituation system where they are monitored to make them used to human presence, the habituation system take not less than two years. Uganda is only gorilla tracking destination where tourist are allowed to participate in gorilla habituation process.
Uganda is known for availing more chances of tracking the mountain gorillas with about 152 gorilla permits available daily, tracking gorilla tourist grouped eight members per group to track a single habituated gorilla family. Tracking commence as early at 7:30am with briefing on etiquettes of tracking and with a lead of an armed ranger guide trackers enroll into steep rainforest to search for the jungle giants. To encounter gorilla sometimes can be very hectic and tiresome as it can last from 30 minutes to 8 hours and when encounter the giants the tiresomeness is forgotten, an eye to eye contact with the silverback is a life time experience year and you have an hour in their presence.
Tracking gorillas one should have a tracking permit, for the regular gorilla tracking in Uganda a permit cost USD$600 and habituation permit cost USD $1500. However the permit raised according to the new conservation tariff where tracking permit increased to USD $700 will effective from July 2020 to 2022.
Chimpanzees tracking
Next after gorilla tracking is chimpanzee tours, combining chimpanzees and gorillas for the safari adventure is supersede any other adventure you ever done in Africa. Uganda estimated to have about 3000 chimpanzee population.
Chimpanzees is the second large primate specie, like gorilla also chimpanzees live in communities which every community which are led by dominating male. Chimpanzee trekking one of the famous adventure activity tourist can undertake while in Uganda, tracking adventures here is more than just tracking but learning the way of their life style.
In Uganda chimpanzees can be encountered from different destinations among is the prominent Kibale national park, Kibale forest is also branded the world primate capital home to about 13 primate species. Other destinations to encounter chimpanzees include Budongo forest reserve, Kyambura gorge marked in Queen Elizabeth national park, Bugoma forest reserve and semuliki national park.
Chimpanzees also here undergo habituation process to ensure perfect tracking experiences when encountered by tourist. Among all chimpanzee destinations are encountered along with other primate species. The same process of trekking gorillas with tracking chimpanzees footing into the natural dense tropical jungle spending about 30 minutes to 6 hours to have them for the eye contact.
When encountered the giants before retreating to your starting point you have an hour in their presence surveillance infants and juveniles entertaining hurdling beneath tree blinds.
The cost of tracking chimpanzees vary according to where to track from. Tracking in Kibale national park a permit cost USD $150 and habituation process cost USD $200, similarly there’s a raise in the cost where USD $200 for tracking and habituation to USD $250 coming in the new conservation tariff effective from July 2020.
Golden monkey tracking
After your gorilla catch at Mgahinga gorilla national park, turn your track for the endangered golden monkeys endemic to the Virunga forests. The golden monkeys are among the endangered co-exist with mountain gorillas in the rolling slopes of Mgahinga gorilla national branding Mgahinga park as the place where silver meets with golden, finding the Albertine silverback living along with golden monkey.
Recently Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) announced two habituated for tracking. The fascinating adventure of pursuing golden monkey means to stroll through the peaks of the dense Mgahinga forest which ornaments the park. Golden monkeys accompanied the famous gorilla trekking and adventure at the park without golden monkey trekking its incomplete adventure.