Kyambura Gorge’s first chimpanzee baby naming ceremony was held at the UWA Fig Tree Camp in Queen Elizabeth National Park on July 18th!
Kyambura Gorge is home to a unique and isolated community of 24 chimpanzees. Research conducted between 2006 – 2009 by Nicole Simmons, who is now the VSPT project coordinator, revealed that the chimp population suffered a substantial decline. A Peace Corps census conducted in 1995 reported 27 chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge but by the time Nicole’s research began in 2006 the numbers had dropped to just 15 individuals.
However, since 2006 the chimpanzees and their habitat have been carefully monitored and their numbers are now increasing. In the past seven years the Kyambura Chimpanzees have had 10 new babies, four of which were newly named at the Fig Tree celebration - one female (Ekisharu) and three males (Pesa, Agaba and Maani).
During the ceremony, the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust also presented the Fig Tree Camp staff with four pairs of binoculars to assist them in their work.
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Tracking chimpanzees in their natural habitat, as they swing from the branches in the canopy high above the forest floor is nothing short of exhilarating. The chimps effortlessly cross and scamper through the trees above the gorge, and visitors on the other hand must cross the river using natural bridges in order to keep up with the chimps. So although the walk usually lasts only 2–3 hours, descending the steep gorge and crossing the log bridges over the river requires some agility and fitness.
Chimpanzee tracking is also available in nearby Kalinzu, a forest reserve 30 minutes drive from Kyambura Gorge Lodge where there is a community of about 40 habituated chimpanzees.
