First I would like to say ... I think waking up before 4 a.m should be a crime. The drive from Mbarara to the Kyambura Gorge was about 3 hrs. For chimpanzee tracking, we were split into two groups, a group of five in the morning and the other three in the afternoon. I was in the early morning group. Once we arrived, everyone was given a quick briefing before walking into the gorge. We learned a little about the animals we were about to see, as well as being given some dos and don’ts. Top of the list: avoid getting too close. Not only for our own safety but also for theirs, as our colds, viruses, and diseases can easily spread to them due to shared DNA. We were accompanied by two guides, both who were armed in case of emergencies.
Along the way, there was a lot of walking (as well as tripping) through tangled undergrowth, ducking under low branches, and constantly watching our steps for twisted roots. There was a moment when I began to doubt if we would encounter any chimpanzees, especially after learning that the likelihood of spotting them in Queen Elizabeth National Park was as low as 20%. However, our persistence paid off, and we were rewarded with the incredible sight of chimpanzees in their natural habitat. This was such a rare and special experience. It's kind of crazy to think that chimpanzees are humans’ closest genetic relatives. Everything about this felt so unreal, and I got some amazing photos of them too. We were even 3-4 meters away from them. THIS WAS SOOOO COOL!!!!
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