Ngamba Island is a safe
haven for chimpanzees – 95% of it is a Chimpanzee sanctuary. The environment
meets the social, psychological and physical needs of the primates.
I was anxious the night before I travelled to Ngamba Island.
The thought of sitting in a boat and crossing Lake Victoria freaked me out. I
had never thought I would travel on water because I have a phobia for it. What
would happen if the boat capsized, yet I cannot swim? This question kept
rolling over in my mind. I had second thought about the trip, but the company
of my friends encouraged me.
The trip was organized by a DHL team and I was invited along
by a maintenance work at the sanctuary. We boarded a bus to the Uganda WildlifeEducation Center (UWEC) in Entebbe, where we met Lilly Ajarova, the executive
director at Chimpanzee wildlife Sanctuary and Conservation Trust, who briefed
us about the trip. We walked to the shores of Lake Victoria, where we boarded
two boats. Immediately after stepping into the boat, I closed my eyes because I
did not want to see the water. A friend seated next to me noticed my fear and
told me to relax. I opened my eyes and pretended to be calm.
Our group was jolly, keeping the conversation and laughter
flowing. But I was quiet for the better part of the journey, only praying for a
safe return. Halfway into the journey, the boat engine went silent. My heart
beat increased. I wondered whether we had run out of fuel or whether the boat
had a mechanical problem. I latter realized that it was Ajarova who had instructs
the switching off of the engine because there was some communication she wanted
to make. “We are crossing from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern
Hemisphere we are about to reach Ngamba Island,” she said. Shortly after, the
driver switched on the engine again and continued with the journey.
We hit some huge waves, and the boat swayed dramatically. I
opened my eyes wide, afraid that my time had come. But the rest of the group
seemed unmoved, happily enjoying the motion. For about 30 minutes, the boat
rocked continuously and I felt dizzy and nauseous. I developed headache and
felt sleepy. To my relief, we were soon at Ngamba Island at around 11: 30am.
The breeze was simply beautiful and nature gave it freely. A caretaker at the
island showed us areas of tourism interest before we took a break to have lunch.
After lunch, we engaged in different activities. In the evening at around 5:
30pm, we boarded the boat back to Entebbe. The journey back was easier since
the water was calm.
THE ISLAND
Ngamba Island was purchased in 1997. The sanctuary integrates
the conservation of chimpanzees with community development projects.
Chimpanzees at Ngamba live in a safe environment that meets their social, psychological
and physical needs. Ngamba Island suits on a square kilometer of tropical rain
forest. Approximately, 95% of this island is a chimpanzee habitat, with 5% set
aside as an eco friendly workers village, veterinary facilities and tourist
areas. This Chimpanzee sanctuary is committed to encouraging sustainable living
on Lake Victoria. At the island, you have a unique opportunity of viewing
chimpanzees up close in their natural environment. The pre arranged
supplementary feeding times are at 11: 00 am and 3: 00pm every day, so the
chimpanzees come with meters of the raised walkways designed for easy viewing.
This also provides excellent photographic opportunities.
PREFERRED HABITAT
Chimpanzees’ regular habitat is in tropical rain forests to
woodland savanna and grasslands. Chimpanzees are currently found 21 African
countries from the west coast of the continent to Western Uganda, Rwanda,Burundi, and Tanzania. The greatest population of the chimpanzees is located in
the rain forests along the equator. They can also be found in open woodlands,
bamboo forests, swamp forests and even swamp savanna, where there are some
forested areas. In savanna areas, they rarely venture far into the grassland,
except to move from one forest patch to another. Ajarova says chimpanzees have
a life span of 40 to 45 years in wild and 50 to 60years in captivity.
By Bruce Amp
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