Ngamba Island – Jan 2012

Ngamba Island – Jan 2012

We all met at Entebbe Sailing Club by Lilly Ajaruva Executive Director of Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary – board a Wild Frontiers Boat for the island with a few other day trippers.

Arrive at the island 40 mins later – get a brief by Innocent on the low down of the sanctuary.

Facts and Figures

Ngamba Island is part of the Koome group of islands located in Lake Victoria (which also includes Kiimi, Nsadzi, Koome, Bulago – which we are to vist - and Damba Islands). It is approximately 23 km south-east of Entebbe, which lies on the mainland at 0.06’S, 32.39’E. It consists of approximately 100 acres, of which 98 acres is forested and separated from the human camp by an electric fence. The northern part of the island is generally flat, rising gently to an altitude of approximately 3800 feet above sea level to the south. The island is largely forested with gaps of grassland covering approximately 10% of the island.

The northern part of the island was until 1997 inhabited by a local fishing community. The community had cleared approximately 2 acres of forest and selectively logged large trees from the more proximal parts of the forest. One acre of this area is now used as camp quarters for staff and researchers, whilst the remaining area, located between the forest and the viewing platform is where the chimpanzees are fed during the day. The chimps are rescued animals – from captivity and from injury by traps - used by hunters for bush meat  - all completely illegal.

A trail system was cut just prior to the chimpanzees’ arrival in October 1998. Trails span from east to west and north to south creating 50 x 50m blocks.

Ngamba Island provides an excellent secondary forest habitat for the chimpanzees and other wildlife species including fruit bats, spiders, fish eagles, otters, and monitor lizards.

Chimps have 97.8 % human DNA. You need inoculations against six different diseases if we are to do a forest walk, or come in contact with the chimps at all. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Meningitis, Polio, Tetanus, Yellow Fever, and Seasonal Flu inoculations need to be proven. One staff member was recently taken off the island when she picked up flu.

Next day up at 6am to see a beautiful sunrise from the chimp viewing platform. We had a film crew overnight and they are off on a forest walk (inoculations all in order!)

 8 am is feeding time some of the crew have been given permission to film inside the enclosure. Innocent doesn’t seem too happy about this – it’s not allowed under normal circumstances.

   

    

The head care giver - Stanley – goes in with the crew – he has a very good report with the chimps – holding hands, carrying them on his back and hugging them – they honestly do look and behave so much like humans. But all this human contact is too much for Innocent as he would prefer them to be left as close to their natural habit as possible. This in spite of the fact that they are feed 4 times a day by humans in order to reduce the destruction of the natural forest they live in. At 8am bread, 11am fruit, 3 and 6pm is porridge. All taken so delicately and delightfully in their hands, and so human like. Innocent is very upset by the film crew’s intrusion. Meet up with Mary (management trainee from UK), Abby and Lubowa in the kitchen and have a look around at a very simple but effective kitchen – everything is run on gas or charcoal and electricity for the lodge is provided by solar panels. I’ve never seen a solar powered microwave, oven or kitchen plug points before.

                                 

After Breakfast next day, we negotiate a boat to take us over to Bulago Island where we plan to stay at Pineapple Bay. After much discussion with Patrick re how much to get there – he finally hooks up the outboard to the boat (an oversized canoe) and we head out onto the still mill pond lake, but the weather soon turns dark and we are relieved 30 mins later when we get to Bulago and ramp up onto a long sandy beach before the rain.

Old colonial style buildings in general state of dilapidation are scattered around the bay on the hill. Has an air of old time forgotten beauty? We ask the locals where the hotel is and they point to the other side of the island – it’s a short walk actually with Patrick still with us carrying our bag. Past a grass airstrip and it’s not long before we reach a batch of East African style villas right on the edge of a beautifully arced white sandy beach.

     

     

We are expected and are taken to a beautifully decorated room opening up right onto the sandy beach. The afternoon is spent at the pool with a few G+T’s, watching the abundant birdlife. We are the only 2 in the dining room that night – and feast on delicious fresh Nile perch. Old movie posters of African movie classics adorn the walls – Born Free, Casablanca, Hepburn and Bogart.  After dinner take a walk along the beach to photograph the amazing sunset.

 Jonathon arrives that evening by plane, followed close behind by Tim. Jonathon owns the hotel (bought it 2 years ago, in a very sad state of repair, from a SA couple) and Tim bought the island 10 years ago for US$10million. Bargain of the century as far as I am concerned.

                                         

We have a mini storm that night, and I am very conscious of our boat (open) ride back to Monyonyo the next day. But the morning arrives crystal clear and still as the sun comes up at 6.30am. Have breakfast on the room patio, beautiful.

Take a walk to the top of the hill to the left of the hotel. A small grave with headstone sits there dedicated to Colonial Pat Pretorius. He was the father of the original SA owners of the hotel. He had his heart in Africa but never made it back – his daughter erected this memorial to him. It must have been a difficult decision for her to sell that hotel – having virtually dedicated it to him.

Last few G+T’s around the pool before heading back to Monyonyo by hotel speed boat. The Lake is like glass. With pelicans sitting bobbing on the surface!! Beautiful!!