Ngamba Island – Uganda’s Best Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Established with a major aim of providing care for orphaned chimpanzees in Uganda, Ngamba Island is one of the leading tourist places in Uganda where a visitor is assured to see the human-like chimpanzees. Chimpanzees rescued by Uganda Wildlife Authority from poachers and those with less chances of survival are brought back to the wild at Ngamba Island. The Chimpanzees are well protected and taken good care of by trained stuff, to keep them in good condition for the tourists to have a glance at.

Ngamba Island is located 23 km from Entebbe and it covers an area of about 100 acres. It nearness to Lake Victoria (largest Lake in Africa), makes it an adventurous place to visit with wonderful views and numerous tourism activities.

The whole idea of setting up this sanctuary by the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT) started way back in 1995 and the actual establishment began in 1997.It was established by the Born Free Foundation (UK),THE Jane Goodall Institute (Uganda and Germany),International Fund for Animal Welfare (USA),THE Zoological Board of New South Wales (Australia) and The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Trust (UWECT). These organizations fund-raised to make Ngamba

Island a wonderful breathtaking site away from most world places. The place is well organized to give the chimpanzees a secure home to live and enjoy the wild experience.

Apart from the Chimpanzees, Ngamba Island has a diverse collection of wildlife including; over 150 bird species, crocodiles, hippos, monitor lizards and many more. Chimpanzees have long-survived on this Island because of the presence of enough food.

Chimpanzees are known for having a natural negative attitude towards strangers and this is the reason why new/young chimpanzees are not mixed with the old chimpanzee to avoid conflicts. Young chimps are kept in separated cages and each day, an old/resident chimp is introduced to his cage to become acquainted with them. This is done repeatedly until when the old/resident chimps get used to the new/young chimps.

Today, Ngamba Island attracts tourist from different parts of the world who are exposed to these great apes in their respective natural habitats. To provide maximum protection for the chimpanzees, they are fenced in a wide area where they are free to play in the forest without any inconvenience.

One of the unforgettable experiences is walking with the chimps as they play with your hair. While playing with the chimps, it is advised that you avoid irritating practices that scare the chimps. Once irritated, chimps can become violent and uncontrollable and so, a visitor needs to be briefed before visiting these elegant primates.

After viewing the chimpanzees, a visitor can enjoy a guided walk around the Island and enjoy the beauty and richness at a shorter distance. Other activities that visitors can enjoy while at Ngamba Island are; badminton, volley ball, darts, sun bathing, shopping at any of the island shops, hammock, reading and relaxing.

Reading about the Sanctuary cannot satisfy you but actual visiting will expose you to numerous adventurous activities and splendid views.