Primates of Kibale national park

Primates of kibale national park : Kibale national park found in the western region of Uganda is a great habitant for primates in both Uganda and East Africa, the park is dominated by evergreen forest at a size of 766 square kilometers. The park’s great attraction is the primates which comfortably live in the forests and encountered by many tourist who visit the park to engage in activities like primate tracking and nature forest walks and hikes, these primates presented in the park include

CHIMPANZEES

Chimpanzee take the largest population of primates in kibale national park and are the main attraction in the park, chimpanzees are tailless primates in physical appearance with a dark fur coat all over most part of its body that is the face, fingers and palms of the hands. Some of the body parts of the chimpanzees are exposed with no fur such as little skin of the face, hands and the feet and its sole, the exposed parts with no fur have a skin color tone which varies from pink to very depending of the age of the chimpanzees (as they mature the color tone changes from bright pin and darkens).

Chimpanzee production system for a female chimpanzee involves giving birth to only one helpless young one weighing about 1.8 kilogram after a gestation period of eight months which is a bit similar to human system, in the social setting of chimpanzee it is a role of as female to take care of the newly born from the time of being baby for 2 years. The baby chimpanzee clings on the mother’s belly while moving and as it grows at the period when it is energetic enough it rides on the mothers’ back, weaning process for the younger chimps ends at 5 year.

In the same social setting of the chimpanzees, a male chimpanzee is considered an adult at the age of 16 years and females start to produce at the age of 13 years and they often give birth to only 2 off springs throughout their life time. Life expectancy of a chimpanzee depends on the environment they thrive from, a normal chimpanzee’s life experience is 50 years and for chimpanzees in captivity they expectancy extends to 60 years because they are given medical assistance and fed.

BLACK AND WHITE COLOBUS MONKEY

Black and white colobus monkey are another set of primates thriving in the forests of kibale and are encountered while on chimpanzee tracking and nature walks in the forest, the unique feature about these primates is that they miss a thumb thing. Black and white colobus monkeys are typically territorial groups living in groups made up of about 9 members with one male, females and their off springs, the fascinating features about colobus monkeys is that there newly born off spring are always white completely.

RED TAILED MONKEY

Red-tailed monkey are very much present in the forests of kibale and kibale national park, these primates are also referred to as black checked white nose monkey, red-tailed guenon, red tail monkey or Schmidt’s guenon. Red tailed monkeys are active- shy primates though very social and friendly, red monkeys are grouped with in Parvorder Catarrhini with nostrils that point downward, in appearance the monkey are usually black, red or orange in tone color. They also have white nose, checks with black or dark grey body fur, the cheeks are very elastic which enable them store a reasonable amount of food during food gathering expedition.

Like other primates red tailed monkey feed on small insects, fruits, leaves, twigs as part of their food, in kibale national park these primates are easily sighted around Kanyanchu tourist center.

GREY CHECKED MANGABEY

Grey-cheeked mangabey are beautiful primates your will amazed to find in the forests of kibale national park, these primates are also referred to as white-cheeked mangabey. In appearance these primates are relatively small in size with dark fur covered bodies, in size males are larger than female and both have black fur is black in color and have a golden mane around their necks. Grey checked mangabey are social primates living in a group of 5-30 members in each group. Like other primates, grey checked mangabey feed on fruits, figs, fruits, flowers, insects and shoots as a major part of their diet.

RED COLOBUS MONKEY

Red colobus monkey are part of the colobus primate family and in kibale national park they habit and are viewed in the thick forests and around bigodi swamp, red colobus monkeys are very social primates living in large groups consisting of 20 – 80 group members. These group also referred as troops are always headed by a male red colobus monkey who is got in a system of a hierarchy that is a process of succession. Red colobus monkey also feed on unripe fruits, flowers, leaves and small insects.

L’HOEST’S MONKEY

The L’Hoest’s monkey also referred to as mountain monkey, in appearance L’HOEST’S MONKEY are short with a dark brown fur coat with a chestnut lored fur across the back. This monkeys’ cheeks are light grey with a pale moustache and the belly is coated with dark fur, their body length is at a range of 12.5 to 27 inches. A male L’Hoest’s monkey is always larger than a female weighing about 6 kilograms and female 3.5 kilograms, this monkey also has a tail which is long with a hook shape at the end.

L’Hoest’s monkey live in small groups with are dominated by female with one male, the females are usually related and they stay in the groups more than males do. The males live in the group for a few weeks or years and they leave. These monkeys breeding is seasonal depending of the area with a gestation period of 5 months giving birth to a single young one, L’HOEST’S MONKEY are noticed to give birth at night during the end of the dry season. In the social setting when the off springs grow up the female stay in the group and male leave the group to form new ones.

OLIVE BABOON

Olive baboons are also known as Anubis baboon are one of the biggest primates and very interesting primates to encounter in the forests of kibale while on chimpanzee tracking and hiking in kibale national park and they are sighted around Kanyanchu. Olive baboons belong to Cercopithecidae family, in physical appearance these primates are covered with green-grey fur coat, at a close range the coat is multi colored due to rings f yellow-brown and black on their hairs, in size and weigh male olive baboons are different from female olive baboons, males are 28 inches tall and weigh about 50 kilograms and female are 24 inches tall and weigh 24 kilograms.

Olive baboons are very social primates living in group/ troop of about 150 individuals and the leadership in the troop is appointed according to hierarchy.

Primate tracking experience is a very exciting experience but have you considered using visiting kibale national park for such a safari, if not then you should because it one hell of a breathtaking experience with great memories.