Ngamba Island Lake Victoria, Uganda (10 photos) By Sue Knuckey
Ngamba
Island, Lake Victoria, Uganda. where Chimps are rescued from their captivity
in urban areas and rehabilitated back in the wild.A small island with a
great little lodge for visitors to stay, located in a small corner of the island,
away from the bush where the chimps are left to the wild.
Hello Darlings
Back in Jhb after a gr8 trip to Uganda. I have been catching up with a couple of friends, such a hectic social life what can I say. We are having a lunch today at one of the girls plus Margie. Looking forward to seeing her so much.
So we parted at the airport with half an hour between our flights, kids off to snowy UK and me to a scorching third world Uganda!
Flight for me was four hours, starting as usual with a bloody mary which is compulsory and further numbed by a dinky bottle, ok two, of red wine. Feeling pretty laid back by now and arrived at Entebbe 7pm local time to lots of smiling Ugandan faces, claimed my luggage and went thru customs to find Isaac waiting for me, Sheraton’s driver with a fabulously old fashioned command of the English language. Very laid back guy who drove me safely to the Sheraton, one and a half hours it took as we encountered traffic jams when we hit Kampala city, which is normal! Bobby had a Chefs table which he couldn’t get out of but came up behind me at reception when I was checking in and gave me a big hug, lovely to be reunited. He finished fairly late but next morning we had to be up early as, courtesy of the Sheraton, we were booked for two nights at Ngamba Island, the Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a short trip by speedboat (about 40 mins) from Entebbe. So first thing in the morning, back to Entebbe with Isaac – nice to see you again Isaac to which the answer is“Yes please Mam”, I love the Ugandans they are so gentle and extremely polite. So, we boarded the speedboat along with a few other people and made our way to Ngamba Island across Lake Victoria, prolific bird life and we spotted fish eagles one actually had a large fish in his claws. Magnificent birds and identified by a stripe of white under the neck (as I worked out). Millions of cormorants diving for fish as well as the lovely pied kingfisher, which hovers in the air and suddenly dives straight down to collect his potential prey. Not forgetting the ever present and elegant kites who float along in the sky, normally about 4 or 5 of them together.
So we arrived at the Chimp Island, as it is locally known and were met by the Manager, Patrick, and one of the Caregivers, as they are called, named Innocent. The Caregivers look after the chimps, feed them and educate the public who play a big part in supporting the Wildlife Conservation Trust initiative. Once we were assembled, innocent very eloquently launched into an interesting number of facts regarding the chimps. The chimps on this island are all orphans and have been rescued either from people wanting to sell them as pets or as bush meat, which poses a huge threat to Uganda’s wildlife. Following the brief talk, we proceeded to the feeding platform. The chimps are fed three times a day and this first feed we were about to watch was a matter of buckets of fruit being hurled over the electric fence (minus the buckets of course) which separates the forest area from the camp. The fence is intended to keep the chimps free to roam in the forest during the day time and to keep them safe in their own environment. Interesting to note that the chimps go through a huge amount of vegetation in their normal environment and the forest area on the island could only naturally support two chimpanzees, hence the feeding programme and thus they are cared for by not having to forage for their own food but have the safety to roam in the forest which would be their normal habitat. Their faces look like humans, they are all different feature wise and the Caregivers, wonderful devoted people, all know them by name. Chimps have 98.7 our DNA structure. Amazing. At night, this was my best, there is a large sort of dormitory for the chimps, like a large cage, kind of prison looking, but there is a cage like tunnel which leads them from the forest to this dorm area, where there are hammocks slung at the top level. In the evening, most of them, not all – some sleep in the forest, but those who come through are given a bowl of porridge, sort of gruel consistency. They come to the edge of the caged area where the caregivers are lined up with the bowls of porridge and take in their hand, very gently, a bowl – drink the contents, and hand the bowl back to the caregiver. Their hands, their faces, what a wonderful thing to witness, humans helping animals and the interaction and communication between them. Very emotional. Now they have eaten, they are given a bundle of straw which they take in their hand and climb up to the hammock where the straw is used as a blanket to line the hammock –and they go to sleep! Precious. This practice is encouraged on the island due to the fact that a chimp will make a new ‘nest’ each night and of course with their being 44 chimps on the island, this would have a devastating effect on the forest.
One can’t help but feel this should not be necessary in the first place – brings home mankind’s greed and destruction and general disregard of our wonderful planet and all living creatures – hey call me sentimental but I could sit down and weep buckets for our earth.
On that note, there are no white rhinos left in the wild in Uganda anymore due to poachers. There is a huge awareness in South Africa and East Africa to save our rhinos – so sad. Hope its not too late.
So we spent two wonderful nights on this Island.
Next day we decided to visit another island called Bulago Island another small island on Lake Victoria, of which there are many, so we set off by a somewhat leaky speedboat on the 30 min journey across to the other island where we were booked into a five star lodge resort called Pineapple Bay. Stanley was driving the boat and there was another guy accompanying us who was scooping out the water leaking into the boat! All I could think watching this leak springing up was – how far could I actually swim, I can see that island ahead of us but hey theres crocs in this lake! We made it safe and sound! Landed on a white sandy beach which could have been anywhere in the tropics but here we are on the shores of Lake Victoria! After a short walk to the hotel through hoards of annoying lake flies, and a farewell to our escorts who diligently carried our luggage, we checked in to a lovely luxury room complete with mosquito nets surrounding the king size bed and a gorgeous bathroom, the bath overlooking the lake AND a real toilet which I was delighted about as the chimp sanctuary only had a long drop – hmmm- and solar powered electricity, which is fine……. Anyway we proceeded to the pool area overlooking the lake and had a swim again overlooking the lake but we were told not to swim in the lake as there is a very large resident croc. No problem I am happy with the pool – so ordered a gin n tonic and relaxed – so hot. And here I am in AFRICA on the Shores of LAKE VICTORIA oh my word – how lucky am I!! Again the birdlife is prolific – scores of birds running up and down the beach area and particularly at sunset they looked such a picture – we have many photos. Truly a bird lovers paradise and of course a bird’s paradise. We had a great stay at Pineapple Bay and a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant which was decorated hugely reminiscent of colonial days. Next morning we went for a short walk around the island then were taken by a somewhat more water tight speedboat across to the main land and Entebbe where the hotel driver was once again due to pick us up. What stays in my mind so clearly when we were in the calm waters way out on Lake Victoria was the occasional pelican just floating along on the water, so very beautiful and again the fish eagles circling overhead. What a marvellous and unforgettable experience. Hope you’ve enjoyed it with me.
