For anyone who’s ever dreamed of sacking off the desk job to become a jungle-dwelling chimpanzee researcher (just us?) – this is your moment. Little-known Rubondo – Africa’s largest island-based national park – is a truly surprising destination.
Touch down on this extraordinary spot in Lake Victoria. With just one camp – set beachside on the edge of thick, pristine rainforest – it’s not uncommon to be the only folks here (aside from staff and wildlife researchers).
The main activity is hiking into the forest to find Rubondo’s chimpanzees. Be part of their habituation journey while keeping an eye out for signs of elephants, giraffes and the rare sitatunga antelope.
A wild experiment
How the island came to be this way started as something of an experiment. In the 1960s, the Frankfurt Zoological Society relocated chimpanzees from European zoos and circuses to Rubondo. After their introduction proved successful, the researchers brought in elephants, giraffes, rhinos, antelopes and African grey parrots. Rhinos are no longer found on the island, but everything else remains.
Today, Rubondo is a chimpanzee habituation site. You can help simply by spending time with (or near) the primates. Trek through the tangled forest, keeping an ear and an eye open for the chimps. They’ll hear you long before you’re even remotely aware of them.
