Kibale National forest
In preparing for chimpanzee tracking, I looked out the window of my cozy safari hut at the beautiful Ugandan morning. I decided due to the fact I had gotten a slight sunburn on one shoulder during the swamp walk, that I should put on some sunscreen.
After a hearty and delicious breakfast featuring actual coffee, we drove to Kibale National forest as the skies became overcast. At the gate we met with Leticia, a petite smiling woman with a very large rifle who would be our guide. About seven of us assembled in the briefing room which was adorned in the traditional national park skulls-and-amateur-murals-of-the-local-wildlife style. We were instructed how close we could safely approach the chimpanzees, why we should not imitate the chimpanzee calls or eat anything in front of them. We were told that our guide carried a rifle to protect us from rampaging forest elephants who we were reassured would by no means attack us. We were then invited to visit the restroom and rejoin our drivers who would take us to the trailhead.
Somewhere around this point, the African rainforest decided to living up to it's name.
At the trailhead as we made adjustments to our rain gear, Leticia smiled apologetically. It turns out, she explained that the habituated troop we were to visit was just sighted in a different part of the park. The news had just come over the radio. We got back in our vehicles and changed direction.
Following our guide, we entered the jungle on a trail that was completely indistinguishable from any other part of the jungle. Even in a downpour and with various plants attempting to ensnare any stray garment, the rainforest maintained it's surpassing cathedral like loveliness. Only the background birdsong was absent. Our group blundered and slipped along the path pausing only to disentangle ourselves from the local flora or gasp in appreciation at a particular charming stretch of forest. Our guide smiled knowingly. The chimps would most likely be in the trees because of the weather. They didn't spend much time on the ground during the rains. We should keep looking towards the canopy. I was lucky enough to spot them first. I saw a shadow form moving silently among the branches, then another. Sure enough there were about five apes in the tree. I whisper-shouted my discovery while trying to unsheath my camera. The result was a not particularly flattering self portrait that would turn out to be one of the clearest photographs of the day. Between the dim light and the damp, my camera was reluctant to focus on anything. I had my sketchpad and pens at the ready, but the rain made for difficult drawing. Several pages have saturated drawings with runny ink. I'm embarrassed to admit that the results are probably better than I would have come up with without the soaking.
To say that the chimpanzees we're habituated doesn't quite prepare you for the level of unconcern that the animals displayed. There were three different groups of trekkers gasping in astonishment and frenetically photographing anything that moved. The chimps treated us as if we were just another landscape feature. They fed, groomed tended their young and occasionally burst out in screams, hoots or grunts that made the sodden forest echo. The chimpanzees evidently hadn't been informed about their reluctance to come down from the trees during the wet. Several of them ambled through the undergrowth or sat on logs contemplating, much closer than I would have thought possible. Occasionally a photographer would forget the boundaries between humanity and wild animals. If they were foolish enough to ignore the full- toothed yawn of their subject, Leticia would smile admonishingly and suggest a tactical retreat. There were chimpanzees nearly everywhere you looked. When we were told that it was time to move on, several chimps decided to escort us, moving parallel to our procession and at one point interjecting themselves into the center of it.
There may be a less than two percent genetic difference between us and these handsome child sized apes, but it was clear to even the most casual observer which primate belonged in these woods. While we struggled to stay afoot with each patch of wet leaves or protruding root as a snare, the chimpanzees glided through the brush and maneuvered through the branches with effortless agility.
When we finally parted ways with the chimpanzees, filled with awe at our nearest wild relatives, our guide told us a little more about the family we just visited. Evidently there were about 45 chimps in the group, or slightly less than half of the habituated troop. We learned the biography of the current alpha and the two females that sat and posed for us as if it was their job. We were briefed on chimp protocol and manners and given a good description of hunting and territorial behavior. We were then led back to the visitor's center and delivered soaked and satisfied to our drivers
All in all the day was a complete waste of sunscreen
In preparing for chimpanzee tracking, I looked out the window of my cozy safari hut at the beautiful Ugandan morning. I decided due to the fact I had gotten a slight sunburn on one shoulder during the swamp walk, that I should put on some sunscreen.
After a hearty and delicious breakfast featuring actual coffee, we drove to Kibale National forest as the skies became overcast. At the gate we met with Leticia, a petite smiling woman with a very large rifle who would be our guide. About seven of us assembled in the briefing room which was adorned in the traditional national park skulls-and-amateur-murals-of-the-local-wildlife style. We were instructed how close we could safely approach the chimpanzees, why we should not imitate the chimpanzee calls or eat anything in front of them. We were told that our guide carried a rifle to protect us from rampaging forest elephants who we were reassured would by no means attack us. We were then invited to visit the restroom and rejoin our drivers who would take us to the trailhead.
Somewhere around this point, the African rainforest decided to living up to it's name.
At the trailhead as we made adjustments to our rain gear, Leticia smiled apologetically. It turns out, she explained that the habituated troop we were to visit was just sighted in a different part of the park. The news had just come over the radio. We got back in our vehicles and changed direction.
Following our guide, we entered the jungle on a trail that was completely indistinguishable from any other part of the jungle. Even in a downpour and with various plants attempting to ensnare any stray garment, the rainforest maintained it's surpassing cathedral like loveliness. Only the background birdsong was absent. Our group blundered and slipped along the path pausing only to disentangle ourselves from the local flora or gasp in appreciation at a particular charming stretch of forest. Our guide smiled knowingly. The chimps would most likely be in the trees because of the weather. They didn't spend much time on the ground during the rains. We should keep looking towards the canopy. I was lucky enough to spot them first. I saw a shadow form moving silently among the branches, then another. Sure enough there were about five apes in the tree. I whisper-shouted my discovery while trying to unsheath my camera. The result was a not particularly flattering self portrait that would turn out to be one of the clearest photographs of the day. Between the dim light and the damp, my camera was reluctant to focus on anything. I had my sketchpad and pens at the ready, but the rain made for difficult drawing. Several pages have saturated drawings with runny ink. I'm embarrassed to admit that the results are probably better than I would have come up with without the soaking.
To say that the chimpanzees we're habituated doesn't quite prepare you for the level of unconcern that the animals displayed. There were three different groups of trekkers gasping in astonishment and frenetically photographing anything that moved. The chimps treated us as if we were just another landscape feature. They fed, groomed tended their young and occasionally burst out in screams, hoots or grunts that made the sodden forest echo. The chimpanzees evidently hadn't been informed about their reluctance to come down from the trees during the wet. Several of them ambled through the undergrowth or sat on logs contemplating, much closer than I would have thought possible. Occasionally a photographer would forget the boundaries between humanity and wild animals. If they were foolish enough to ignore the full- toothed yawn of their subject, Leticia would smile admonishingly and suggest a tactical retreat. There were chimpanzees nearly everywhere you looked. When we were told that it was time to move on, several chimps decided to escort us, moving parallel to our procession and at one point interjecting themselves into the center of it.
There may be a less than two percent genetic difference between us and these handsome child sized apes, but it was clear to even the most casual observer which primate belonged in these woods. While we struggled to stay afoot with each patch of wet leaves or protruding root as a snare, the chimpanzees glided through the brush and maneuvered through the branches with effortless agility.
When we finally parted ways with the chimpanzees, filled with awe at our nearest wild relatives, our guide told us a little more about the family we just visited. Evidently there were about 45 chimps in the group, or slightly less than half of the habituated troop. We learned the biography of the current alpha and the two females that sat and posed for us as if it was their job. We were briefed on chimp protocol and manners and given a good description of hunting and territorial behavior. We were then led back to the visitor's center and delivered soaked and satisfied to our drivers
All in all the day was a complete waste of sunscreen
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