The Great Apes Safari

What a safari! Travelling between Uganda and Rwanda, the chimpanzees and the gorillas - just fantastic! Here is the transcript from the video: Hi guys, it’s Kurt here from FiveZero giving you a quick wrap up from our latest Great Apes Safari. What an absolutely wonderful safari this is! We started in Uganda, and used the most of our time to pop in and see if we could find one of the strangest birds on the planet: the Shoebill stork. Luck was on our side, and we got to see several different birds and some of the most patient fishing behaviour! Soon enough, we were on our way to Kibale National Park to find the first of the great apes: the Chimpanzee. The trek through the forest is a wonderful start to the adventure, as you are surrounded by extreme beauty filled with many incredible sights and sounds. As you walk along the animal pathways, you stop from time-to-time to listen for the chimpanzees, and before too long, they let you know where they are. Moving slowly in amongst the family you really get a feel for the group dynamic. You can see the old men going about their business or resting up, and the younger females playing with babies, which are watching you with as much curiosity as you are watching them. It is a real treat spending such quality time with these amazing animals. Back at the lodge, you can enjoy lazy afternoons with cocktails or explore the forest which surrounds the camp for any one of the 13 primates that call this forest home. Sadly, our time in Uganda had to end, but the next leg was just beginning. We took a quick and flight to Rwanda, and made our way up to the Volcanoes National Park to start our search for the endangered mountain gorillas. Trekking the gorillas is always fantastic. Heading up through the bamboo forests high into the hypericum forest, the views over the volcanoes are spectacular. Our well trained team of trackers found the gorillas in no time, and before we knew it, we were face-to-face with these impressive apes. Quietly feeding right in front of us, or playing with their boisterous youngsters, the gorillas pay you no attention at all, and you really get to immerse yourself in the experience. We were lucky to trek two large families, so there was plenty of space for everyone, and plenty of photographic opportunities all around! We left the gorillas to enjoy the rest of their day and went back down to camp for some sundowner drinks, and quiet massage. The service and hospitality in Rwanda is superb, and there is always a friendly face to help you when needed. The last morning we left for our trek to see the golden monkeys. We found a large family group of around 120 individuals, so the action was everywhere! These lovely little primates are great fun to watch and spend time with as they play and feed in the bamboo forests. In total we managed to see 8 different primates on this safari, including the 2 great apes. It was a week of exploration and enjoyment, a real adventure and a time of appreciation. In short, what an absolutely wonderful safari this is!