XA!nini African Wildlife Safaris
Agandi (hello everyone)

 We heard them long before we saw them: from somewhere deep in the rainforest, an excited hooting, just one voice at first, then several, rising in volume and beat and pitch to a frenzied faceless crescendo, before stopping abruptly and fading away. Jane Goodall called it the "pant-hoot" call, a call that even today, she begins each and every talk with. Their high-pitched calls and buttress drumming reach a climax, which to the native ear, has to be one of the most is spine-chilling and exciting sounds of the rainforest.

Along with my guests Jeff & Julie, we're in Kibale Forest National Park located west of the capital Kampala. We're standing alongside our guide Geoffrey. Head tilted, he's gauging the direction of Africa's largest community of habituated chimpanzees. "We're on the right trail," he says and I get the feeling that visual contact with man's closest genetic relative is imminent!

The paths we've used to find the chimps are well defined compared to those in Bwindi. This makes chimp trekking fairly easy and ideal for when one has to keep up with the often fast moving chimps. We head off our path, through a thicket and scramble across a small stream. The forest is silent. "There he is, its the king", points Geoffrey - And there under cluster of trees is Mobutu. He's the Alpha male and chief of this chimp community. He's an old boy, graying on his face and scarred hands, he's grand none the less. Our encounter is close up and personal and great fun as we dash here and there keeping up with the chimps. I managed a few blurry snaps before Mobuto, family in toe, headed back up into the fruiting trees.
Gorilla News:
• Gorilla trekking permit rates for 2011 set to increase to $750
BOOK this year for 2011 and pay current rate of $500!
• The rains have arrived early in Bwindi, the trees beginning to fruit with the gorilla moving deeper into the forest in search of fruiting trees.
• Nyabuche's infant is a male!
• Am currently in the UK marketing gorilla's.

Please contact me on my mobile: + 27 (0) 83 448 4476 or limar@iafrica.com

Cheers for now
 

In Kibale Forest, chimp tracking is by far the most popular activity. Apart from chimps, the forest is home to a total of 13 primate species and with roughly 335 species recorded, its a birders paradise. Excursions depart from Kanyanchu at 08:00 am and 14:00 pm daily, 6 people per group. Booking is essential especially in the peak travel months. For the dedicated chimp enthusiast, sign up for a two day chimp-habituation experience (seasonal) or the novelty guided night-walk with spotlights.

For more information on the chimps, please e-mail me!



Chimp Fact File:
• Humans, bonobos (pygmy chimp) and chimpanzees share more than 98.7% of their genetic code. The three species are more closely related to each other than any other living creature, even the gorillas!
• "Pant-hooting" is a type of bonding ritual that allows any chimp within close proximity to identify who is around at any given time, through the individuals unique vocal stylization.
• A chimps diet comprises of 60% fruit, 30% young leaves and 10% meat.
• Hunting is done communally and by male chimps only. Their preference are red & black-and-white colobus. Colobus monkeys are very violent towards other monkeys and chimps hunt them to assert their strength.

* All pictures copyright Lisa Marsden