Tracking chimpanzees in Nyungwe
Nyungwe National Park is home to thirteen different species of primates, one of the most sought after of which is the chimpanzee. Although there may be just 500 chimpanzees in this park, most of what the world knows of these primates has come from research conducted in East Africa, and tourists from around the world come to Nyungwe to try to catch a glimpse.
Let a trained guide take you through the flourishing rainforest as you track down these nimble mammals. Chimpanzee tracking is not an easy feat since the terrain and vast bushes makes spotting them difficult. They also live in communities of up to one hundred individuals, the composition of which is constantly changing.
Your chances, honestly
The chimpanzees at Nyungwe are becoming increasingly habituated and tourists now have a 50% chance of seeing them. In fact, you will hear them before you ever see them. As their calls get increasingly loud, you will feel the excitement of knowing you are hot on their trail.
Be one of the few to spot these primates in their natural habitat. Seize the rare opportunity to watch them feed, play, and swing through the branches of the bush canopy as they go about their daily lives. After spending the half-day it takes to track chimpanzees, you will come to understand what it was that kept the world famous primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall fascinated by and studying them for over 45 years.
The other primate trek in the same forest
Few visitors find themselves able to pass up the Ruwenzori colobus monkey, perhaps the most notable primate of Nyungwe. A large group of the black-and-white leaf-eaters has settled around the park's campsite, and a number of them are usually present to welcome guests on arrival — but a guide will take you further into the heart of the park for a closer look. An acrobatic species that rarely comes down from the trees, they swing between branches in the uppermost canopy, and their long hair fans out like a parachute as they leap downwards.