Tracking Chimps
Trip Start
Aug 14, 2011
1
6
11
Trip End
Sep 02, 2011
Kibale National Park Uganda, Uganda
Monday, August 22, 2011
Our last
day in Queen Elizabeth today. Since we missed out on our game drive
yesterday and Jackson was very keen to show us lions, we started
early this morning for a short drive before breakfast. We found a
mating pair which were really too far away to take photos of but I
took some anyway and some video which may be better. Then we
returned to the lodge for breakfast and headed off to Kibale.
We had a
late lunch at the Kibale Forest Tourism information Centre while we
waited for our Chimp Tracking Walk. This is much easier than the
gorillas – the ground is a bit rough but its not very hilly and the
undergrowth is much sparser. There were four of us in the group and
two guides. We found our first chimp fairly quickly, a young
solitary male, and shortly after found the dominant male of a family
group. We followed him and found the family on the ground. This was
lucky as chimps are much harder to see in the trees.
Unfortunately
there was another group of tourists there as well and they were not
very well behaved. Chimps are wild animals and can be very dangerous
so you are supposed to maintain a distance of around 7 meters
although the guides will usually get you closer if you follow
instructions. These people weren't very good at following
instructions and their guide spent a lot of time telling them to move
back because they were too close. Also, because they were not just
standing fairly still and quiet the chimps couldn't settle so I think
we missed the chance to see normal interactions within the chimp
group.
These
people spoiled the experience to some extent. It was difficult to
take photos and in the end I stopped trying. Nathaniel didn't enjoy
it much either, he said he felt sorry for the chimps.
We went
on to Chimps' Nest where we are staying the night. Not that
impressed with this place. My room was pleasant enough but
Nathaniel's needed some work. Every other place we've stayed we have
been put in cottages close to each other but here I had no idea where
Nathaniel was until we were escorted back to our cottages after
dinner. I tried to find him before dinner but signs aren't very
good.
The food
was good but Jackson's meal wasn't brought until we had finished ours
and then his food was cold. The group at the next table had the same
problem with their guide's meal. This was the second night in a row
this had happened to them and they made it known that they weren't
happy. When we came to order breakfast, Jackson ordered from a
separate menu. Not sure whether this is racism or snobbery but
either way we found it distressing and embarrassing.
