First of all, it really is hard out there for a chimp. All the chimps we saw today at the chimp sanctuary were orphans rescued from poachers.
To get there we waved down a shared taxi to the crowed taxi park in town and from there hopped on another matatu headed towards Entebbe. We had to wait on the Entebbe bound matatu until it filled up with passengers. When the mini bus had taken on another 15 adults, 3 chickens, and 4 wide eyed babies, we hit the road. About an hour later, we were close enough to walk and we were surprised to spot several monkeys before we even reached the wild life center. While we waited for the boat to take us to the island, we watched a mischievous little monkey with a black face and vibrant blue um genitalia snatch a banana from a young english woman.
On the island, we were warned that the chimps sometimes throw rocks and that occasionally, a chimp escapes. But it was clear that the care givers here really care for and respect these animals. As we watched them toss out fruits at feeding time, our guide identified various chimps by name and their different personalities. There was a chimp who acted out when he didn't get enough attention and another who comforted his peers by rubbing their back. And if the chimps weren't amazing enough, the island was also teeming with other types of wild life including hundreds of birds and a particularly large brand of lizard. We count it as a successful day.
Word of the Day
Matatu - A shared taxi/minibus that can only drive when it's crammed full of people.
And, be forewarned that the people who are almost filling a taxi when you arrive may be shills who later get off, leaving you to wait much longer than you anticipated for the taxi to fill up.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience at the animal sanctuary. I hope you get to see/experience more wildlife.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the blog. I'm really enjoying it!
Pictures, please! Although I dislike monkeys since they bite, I still like pictures!
ReplyDelete