Looking up and watching other chimpanzees in the trees. A baby chimpanzee swings through the trees in Kibale Forest. This isn’t a place to watch them in the wild, but you can visit and learn about their stories and support the important work they do. Also in Uganda is Ngamba Island, which is a sanctuary for rescued and orphaned chimps out on Lake Victoria. There are responsible tourism operations running ethical and professionally guided tours, which are bound to offer unforgettable experiences observing chimps. To see them under these circumstances – wild and free – you can go to Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda, Kibale Forest, Budongo Forest, or Kyambura Gorge in Uganda, and Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains National Parks in Tanzania. It is only really possible for tourists to see habituated families of chimpanzees, which are wild populations that have become accustomed to seeing humans in their habitat over long periods of successful, respectful introductions. In Nigeria and Cameroon, where the only population of the Elliot’s subspecies can be found, there are wildlife sanctuaries that have rescued chimps and provide educational information, but seeing them in the natural habitat of Cross River National Park is almost impossible even for rangers and researchers. Where can you see wild chimpanzees?Ĭonsidering that they can be found in so many countries, it may come as a surprise that there are only a handful of places where tourism infrastructure allows for visitors to see wile chimpanzees. Chimpanzees very relaxed in the company of humans in Kibale Forest after years of responsible habituation. ![]() A flourishing forest environment is ideal for the chimpanzees, which is why these habitats need to be protected. Moving westwards across equatorial Africa, chimps are found in as many as 21 countries: Angola Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Congo The Democratic Republic of Congo Côte d’Ivoire Equatorial Guinea Gabon Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Mali Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Sierra Leone South Sudan Tanzania and Uganda. The easternmost point of their range is the Greater Mahale Ecosystem on the western boundary of Tanzania, and this is where the Jane Goodall Institute has been based doing research and excellent conservation work for decades. Unfortunately, both species of chimpanzee are endangered with decreasing population numbers across the board.Ĭhimpanzees like an equatorial climate, and they occur in the warm, humid environments of the Central African rainforests. Common chimpanzees occupy a greater range – from as far east as Tanzania to the westernmost point in Senegal – but this is not an indication of a thriving population. Common chimpanzees and bonobos are the two species in existence, and bonobos (also called pygmy chimpanzees) only live in one place in Africa – in the Democratic Republic of Congo, south of the Congo River. There are two species and four subspecies, and all of them live in a stretch of what used to be uninterrupted forest belt, but is now badly fragmented due to deforestation and human encroachment. There is also a short film about the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center, which provides information about the important work the Detroit Zoological Society is doing to support the organization with veterinary care and humane education programs.Chimpanzees are native to Africa and this is the only continent home to wild chimpanzees. ![]() Guests will find additional educational information inside the building, including a display comparing human hands to those of gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide guests with remarkable views of the animals exploring their space from varying levels, trees and swings. Many of these areas also have coin-operated telescopes where guests can take a closer look at these charismatic animals.Īn indoor area is accessible to visitors for viewing the animals when they are in their interior spaces during inclement weather or when temperatures dip too low for them to be outdoors. Educational signage shares helpful information about the primates’ characteristics, behaviors and diets. Guests are able to see these primates from many different vantage points as they walk the perimeter of the habitat. Indoor and outdoor habitats have viewing areas for guests to observe these primates as they interact with one another and explore their separate, expansive spaces. The Great Apes of Harambee is a lush, 4-acre naturalistic habitat located in the Zoo’s African Forest and home to gorillas and chimpanzees.
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