Primate Tracking in Uganda
Primate Tracking in Uganda: Uganda’s remarkable primate list includes 13 diurnal and six nocturnal species, making it the destination with the largest number of monkeys on the continent. The mountain gorilla and chimp are at the top of the list, attracting the greatest interest from primate safari travellers.
A golden monkey, de brazza’s monkey, black and white colobus monkey, red colobus monkey, potto, bush baby, grey-checked mangabey, l’Hoest monkey, red-tailed monkey, vervet monkey, patas monkey, baboon, and blue monkey are among the other primates.
Six of Uganda’s daytime primates are guenon monkeys, members of the taxonomically contentious genus Cercopithecus. The velvet and blue guenon monkeys, for example, are both widespread African species with at least five different common names and over 20 recognized races, some of which are regarded separate species by some authorities.
Uganda also provides more in-depth primate watching opportunities than any other African location. Mountain gorillas and chimps are the most popular subjects for wildlife photography safaris and naturalist trips.
Travelers are taken on a wilder adventure with monkeys during a habituation trip. Guided tours with primatologists and rangers take you to a semi-habituated gorilla or chimp family and allow you to spend 4 – 12 hours with the animals.
Uganda’s most well-known primate tracking destinations are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking and Kibale Forest for chimpanzee tracking; as well as Budongo Forest near Murchison Falls National Park, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Semuliki National Park are all good sites to view primates in Uganda.
Top Primates to lookout for during Primate Tracking in Uganda.
Chimpanzees
Chimpanzees are the second most sought-after primate species in Uganda, behind gorillas. Chimpanzees and humans share at least 94 percent of their DNA. They are gregarious, clever, and communicative, and can utilize tools like rocks to crush nuts, empty pods to scoop water, and sticks to attract termites from their nests.
Because these talents are passed down from generation to generation, it has been shown that various units specialize in different activities based on their environment and nutrition. Chimpanzees live in groups of ten to one hundred people.
Chimpanzees kiss, groom, and care for each other’s children. Young chimps do not become self-sufficient until they are about four years old. Their food is made up of leaves, fruit, flowers, and seeds. Despite spending a lot of time on the ground, chimps generally build their nests in trees.
Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park or in Kalenzu forest next to the park, Budongo woodland in Murchison Falls National Park, and Toro- Semuliki Wildlife Reserve adjacent to Semuliki National Park are among the top chimp trekking sites in Uganda.
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Uganda costs $200 for non-residents, $150 for residents and UGX 150,000 for East African citizens tracking chimps in Kibale National Park. A chimp trekking permit at Kyambura Gorge, Queen Elizabeth National Park, costs $50 for both Foreign Residents and Non-Residents, while East African Citizens are charged UGX 30,000 per person. The cost of tracking chimps at Toro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve is $30 per person for both foreign residents and non-residents, and UGX 20,000 for East African citizens.
Mountain Gorillas
The presence of gorillas in Africa’s tropical woods has been recognized for generations, and not only to locals. The first mention of apes goes back 2000 years, when sailors from the North African province of Carthage landed in West Africa and attempted to capture several apes, resulting in a bruising confrontation that gave the creatures the Carthaginian term for ‘scratcher’ – ‘gorilla.’
Mountain gorillas are by far the most desired primates in Uganda and throughout the world. Over half of the world’s mountain gorilla population lives in Uganda’s thick woods. The remainders are divided between Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga National Park. Because they cannot thrive in captivity, preserving these delicate ecosystems is critical to their survival.
Gorillas share approximately 98 percent of their DNA with humans and exhibit uncanny human traits. A silverback, a senior male with white hair on his back who generally leads the flock in search of food and new nesting grounds, heads the close-knit family group.
Mountain gorillas are found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is one of the most profitable tourism activities, drawing a large number of international tourists from all over the globe.
In Uganda, a gorilla trekking permit costs $700 for non-residents, $600 for residents and UGX 250,000 for East African citizens. A gorilla trekking safari in Uganda may cost as little as $1278 per person for a three-day walk in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Olive Baboons
Olive baboons are also among the most often seen primates in Uganda. They dwell in huge groups and are frequently seen along roadsides waiting to attack motorists in quest of food. Karuma Falls in Pakwach is a famous place for seeing these mischievous animals.
Olive baboons spend more time on the ground than most other ape species, but spend the night in trees. When there is a lack of water, they may survive for lengthy periods of time by sucking the dew from their fur.
Monkeys
The term “monkey” can refer to any of the mammals in the infrared Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Except for apes, all animals in the group currently recognized as simians have traditionally been considered monkeys. Some of the common monkeys species sighted in Uganda’s forests include; golden monkeys, De Brazza’s monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Red Colobus monkeys, Vervet monkey, Patas monkeys and the Blue monkeys.
Conclusion: Primates are one of Uganda’s most popular tourist attractions. Tourists above the age of 16 can go primate tracking in Uganda. Tracking monkeys in Uganda allows trackers to learn more about primates while also emphasizing the need of protecting these magnificent and intelligent species for future generations.
