By Amos Wekesa
On the 11th of November 2018, Wanderlust, the UKs leading magazine started by travel experts Paul Morrison and Lyn Hughes for people with a passion for travel published a list of the top 7 best places to see Chimpanzees in the wild and all the top 3 are in Uganda. A lot of credit will go to the PR firm that Uganda hired in the UK to promote the country and that’s kamageo.
The first on the list is Ugandas kibale national park found in Southern part of the country with ever moist evergreen rainforest and its 795 square kilometers in size, located between 1100 meters to 1600 meters in elevation. Kibale national park is also known as the world capital of primates and its because it has the highest density of primates of any protected area of the world.
Kibale national park has about 351 different species of trees and some of the trees rise over 55m and are over 200 years old though the forest cover is interspersed with patches of grassland and swamp and that dominates the northern and central parts on an elevated plateau. This same national park is a home to 70 species of mammals but famously known for its 13 species of primates including the Chimpanzees( believed to have a population of more than 1500 individuals)
The second on the list of wanderlust magazine top 7 is Budongo forest reserve which is part of the Murchison conservation and its the largest surviving natural forest in Uganda. Budongo forest is about 825 square kilometers of which 430 square kilometers is continuous forest and it was historically protected by the king of Bunyoro and its only with his permission could local chiefs hunt inside the forest. Thanks to his strict policy the flora and fauna was preserved, until the reserve was officially gazetted in 1932. The name Budongo derives from the local Bunyoro word’ fertile soil.
Budongo forest is very rich in biodiversity and this includes 9 species of primates, 24 species of small mammals, 280 species of butterflies, 360 species of birds and 465 species of plants which include the famous for the age-old, Mahogany trees which grow unto 80 meters high. Because of its diverse environment, Budongo forest offers some of the bird viewings and so far the best in this reserve is royal mile. Budongo forest is about 30 kms from Masindi town and if one wants to trek the chimpanzees, they must use Kichumbanyobo gate and 8kms after the gate, you find the chimpanzee trekking center and thats where Budongo eco lodge is as well.
The third on the list of Wanderlust magazine is Ugandas Kyambura gorge part of Queen Elizabeth National park conservation and its also called the ‘valley of Apes’and its approximately 1km across at the broadest point and about 100 meters deep and this gorge is drained by River Kyambura. The landscape is amongst the most impressive you will find in East Africa and its swarmed a rich wildlife bio-diversity that comprises of primates, wild animals as well as birds. Enter into this amazing Gorge and you will be marveled by the verdant, rich tropical rainforest right close to the Equator crossing. The gorge is another world on its own with savannah above which has reasonable amount of light, plus sunshine that offers brightness, the tree canopy within this underground forest comprised of rich blocks of plants life shut out of the sun rays.
Besides chimpanzee trekking in kyambura gorge, one can also enjoy guided nature and birding as an icing on the cake. While on the Private walk and game viewing of black and white colobus monkeys, giant forest hogs and the red tailed monkeys, you will encounter lots of different species of butterflies. Kyambura gorge to me is a feature every Ugandan and foreigner before they die
The fourth on the list of Wanderlust is Mahale National Park in Tanzania and its 1613 square kilometers and its the largest accessible habitat in the rift, and visitors see just a fraction of it. While the tracking expeditions can long and hot, the idyllic lakeside setting on the lake Tanganyika helps make the experience extremely special. The 5th of the list is Gombe stream national park and its where Jane Goodall did her intensive research on chimpanzees and in the national park the focus is more on science than tourism, good sightings are almost certain trek.
The 6th on the list Rwandas Nyungwe national park and while this national park is small, its a place one finds or enjoys the canopy walk in this region. The population of chimpanzees in this national park is almost same in number as kibale national park and I know that a few very high end accommodations are being built to cater for passionate primate lovers.
The 7th on the list is a combination of Gisovu, which part of nyungwe and Gishwati, regeneration zone close to volcanoes national park…..The other places placed on the 7th are Burundis kibira national park, Tongo forest project in the DR Congo.
In many ways, I hoped that this would make headlines in our local media but since they didn’t pay attention, let me have it known to all of us that promoting whats about Uganda, is good not for just Uganda but to us as individuals
Writer
CEO
Uganda Lodges ltd and Great Lakes Safaris ltd
www.ugandalodges.com/www.greatlakessafaris.com
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