Golden Monkey Tracking
If you are staying at Orugano Bwindi Lodge, we highly recommend adding a golden monkey tracking experience in the nearby Mgahinga Gorilla National Park to your trip. Golden monkeys are among Africa’s rarest and most beautiful primates. They live only in the Virunga Mountains, a chain of tall, mostly dormant volcanoes that stretch across Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These monkeys are naturally shy and used to be very hard to find. However, since 2002—when the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund began a habituation program in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park—visitors have had the amazing chance to see them up close. Today, golden monkey trekking is available in three national parks, including Mgahinga, and it’s a wonderful activity to combine with gorilla trekking in Uganda.
What Makes Golden Monkeys Special?
While mountain gorillas usually get most of the attention from visitors to the Virunga Mountains, the golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti) is just as fascinating in its own way. As its name suggests, this bamboo-loving monkey is truly beautiful. It looks a lot like the more common blue monkey (C. mitis), but it stands out because of its bright golden-orange fur that shines across its back — a striking contrast to the blue-gray coat of its cousin. The golden monkey is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In the past, it lived throughout the highland forests of the Albertine Rift Valley, but today it survives only in the Virunga Mountains and Gishwati-Mukura National Park in Rwanda. Even within this small range — which it shares with the famous mountain gorilla — the golden monkey is still the most common primate. A 2003 survey estimated about 3,000 to 4,000 golden monkeys in Uganda alone, though newer studies suggest the real number might be much lower.
Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is actually more famous for its golden monkeys than for its gorillas. This is because the park has only one habituated gorilla group, while nearby Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has more than 25 groups. However, Mgahinga is the only place in Uganda where you can see golden monkeys in the wild. Tracking golden monkeys here can be a bit challenging. The walk to reach the monkeys usually takes about 2 to 4minutes uphill through beautiful forest. But the effort is worth it — once you find them, you’ll get to watch these playful creatures jump, chase, and feed on fresh bamboo shoots in their natural home. There are two ways to see golden monkeys in Mgahinga. The first is the standard trek, where you spend one hour with the monkeys. The second is the habituation experience, which is unique to Mgahinga. With this option, you spend up to four hours with the monkeys and the researchers who study them. It’s a wonderful way to learn more about their behavior and get a special look into how scientists work with primates.
Things To Know
Golden monkeys are much more active than gorillas, and you may have to move quickly through the forest in order to keep up with them. In many respects, it’s more like chimpanzee viewing than gorilla viewing.
Standard visits are limited to one hour.
There is no minimum age for a visit. So, if you’re traveling with your children, this is one primate experience they can enjoy with you. Take note though, young children will likely find the walking pretty hard going.
Standard golden monkey trekking costs US$60
The Golden monkey habituation experience costs US$100.