Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary is an island sanctuary in Uganda, committed to the care of orphaned chimpanzees, that have been rescued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Many of the chimpanzees were rescued from poachers and are unlikely to survive reintroduction to the wild.
The Sanctuary is managed by a non-profit organisation, the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT). CSWCT is a partnership of six organizations committed to the welfare and conservation of wildlife. The Trustees are:
- Born Free Foundation
- International Fund for Animal Welfare
- Jane Goodall Institute
- Uganda Wildlife Education Centre
- Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST)
- Uganda Wildlife Society
Ngamba Island was gazetted in October 1998 to care for orphaned chimpanzees rescued from various parts of East Africa.
Ngamba Island is 100 acres of rainforest situated on Lake Victoria, approximately 27 kilometres, by boat south-east of the city of Entebbe, near the Equator in Lake Victoria, Uganda. The island upholds a rich diversity of natural wildlife and provides a variety of natural foods for chimpanzees. It is set up as an eco-friendly project with compost toilets, rainwater collection, proper waste management practices and solar energy for electricity and hot water.
The sanctuary is open all year round to visitors who pay a nominal entrance fee to view one or both of the chimpanzee feedings. Day and overnight visits (staying in luxury tents) are available.
Day 1: Transfer to Ngamba Island
Pick up from your hotel in Kampala in the morning to Entebbe. After the chimpanzees’ briefing, board a speedboat from the pier to Ngamba Islands. Lunch will be served upon arrival as you enjoy the serenity of the island. The climax of the day will be watching the chimpanzee from the visitors’ platform as they feed freely. Dine and overnight on the island.
Day 2: Forest walk and village tour
After breakfast, we set out for a forest walk along with the Chimps. (only those with medical inoculations are advised). The walk will get you closer to these primates. Get back in time for lunch. In the evening, we take a boat tour to the neighbouring fishing villages. Dinner and overnight at the island
Day 3: Back to Kampala
Soon after breakfast, we do a second forest walk. Our boat will cruise back to the mainland where our vehicle will take us back to Kampala for dinner and overnight.
Options are of course many and varied and in many cases, we can be flexible about the itinerary for accommodation facilities and the extension of the safari destinations.
