Rwanda Primates Safari
- July 11, 2024
- Posted by: chosen@202q
- Category: Prepare To Travel Tips
Rwanda Primates Safari
Trekking golden monkeys occurs in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park at the same time as gorillas, around 7:00. These are uncommon species that are also protected as endangered. Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is home to two habituated trooping of 80–100 golden monkeys that are open for visitors to see.
In Rwanda, golden monkeys can be found in the bamboo jungle along the foot of the volcanoes. They have become accustomed to the daily visits from researchers and tourists, which has helped them overcome their early shyness. It’s amazing and a little difficult to imagine that these creatures are also quite active and that they jump from tree to tree.
Aside from gorilla trekking in the National Park of Volcanoes, this walk is worthwhile since it’s an incredibly fun experience. You shouldn’t miss the chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest.
Nyungwe National Park is the starting point for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda.
Tracking the primates differs greatly from mountain gorilla trekking in that the primates move frequently, quickly, and noisily, hopping from tree to tree. The three receiving centers—Uwinka, Gisakura, and Kitabi—are where chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe begins. Here, visitors meet park rangers and are requested to arrive by 4:30 am. From there, they travel to the beginning of the walk into the forest, which begins at 5 am.
Every night since the chimps make their nest, there are trackers who locate the animals before the hiking group does and stay in contact with the rangers. Additionally, visitors spend one hour in the company of chimpanzees in the Nyungwe jungle. This gives them the opportunity to watch these primates up close as they go about their daily lives and witness the traits and behaviors that humans share with these animals. They and humans have 98% of the same DNA. Along with their loud hoots and deafening cries, the chimps also communicate by booming at the buttress and tree bark.
With over 60 members, the habituated chimpanzee community in Nyungwe Forest is likewise larger due to the beauty of the surrounding landscape and forest. Additionally, it increases the likelihood of seeing chimpanzees, but the group in Cyamudongo Forest is smaller—about 30 chimps—and hence yields the highest success rate among sightings in the limited area that is used to locate chimpanzees. The experience of trekking chimpanzees differs greatly from that of trekking gorillas since chimps run in the tree canopies, often sprinting to get up, and sightings are less frequent.Access to Nyungwe National Park
It takes five hours to go to Cyamudongo, the starting point of the chimpanzee viewing section of the Nyungwe jungle, from Kigali. In addition to being the oldest montane forest in Africa, the forest is home to over 13 different primate species, including 500 chimpanzees. The whoops and cackles of the black-faced vervet monkeys and L’Hoests may be audible to you as you walk through the forest.
Finding the chimps is the hardest part of working with them because they are timid and not very acclimated. Their human instincts are strong, though, and they exhibit a lot of curiosity and excitement when people are present. For individuals who are interested in hiking chimpanzees, Rwanda can grant over 64 permits per day for a fee of $90, which is cheaper than that of mountain gorillas.