Big Apes and Wildlife of Uganda

This tour was created for alumni and friends of the University of Guelph, but all curious wildlife lovers are welcome!

Africa’s tropical rainforests are hotbeds of biodiversity despite being less visited than their counterparts in Asia and the Americas. Within Uganda, these forests are the realm of two of the planet’s most iconic primates: Chimpanzees and Mountain Gorillas. On this 10-day adventure, beginning and ending on the shores of Lake Victoria, get an insider’s look at one of the least-explored megadiverse regions in the world.

We begin on the equator with an arrival at Entebbe and then head very slightly north to Uganda’s lively capital city of Kampala. On the first full day of the tour, we make for the hinterland, first stopping at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for some on-foot tracking of White Rhinos before arriving at Murchison Falls National Park where we have a boat safari and game drive. An internal flight takes us southwest to Kibale National Park for Chimpanzee trekking and a visit to the wildlife-rich Bigodi Wetlands. Farther south in Queen Elizabeth National Park, another game drive and boat safari awaits. It’s then at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where we get the rare opportunity to observe some of the 400 resident Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat.

After the first night in Kampala, this tour consists of two-night stays at each location. Your study leader is Dr. Owen Slater, a graduate of U of G’s Ontario Veterinary College and a wildlife veterinarian and instructor in wildlife and exotic animal medicine at the University of Calgary. His insights add colour to this immersive journey through the forests and mountains of Uganda.