World Chimpanzee Day

World Chimpanzee Day every 14/July; What is it & Why Celebrate it

Celebrating the World Chimpanzee Day is one way of reflecting on human’s impact on the survival of the chimpanzees. July 14th isn’t only a special day for the world to celebrate the human-closest relatives –the chimpanzees, but also marks the day when Dr. Jane Goodall first stepped foot into the Gombe Stream National Park.

It was on July 14th 1960 when Jane Goodall became the 1st person to visit and conduct a study on wild chimpanzees. Dr. Jane Goodall is remembered for her efforts to protect/save chimpanzees in the wild. She had good time observing the behaviors of chimpanzees.

July 14th is a special day to remember these unique apes in the wild. Chimpanzees have distinct social behaviors and vocalization. A day such as this is amazing to immerse yourself into the jungles in search for chimpanzee community.

They share a lot with humans with about 98% of their DNA similar to that of man. In Africa, there are many locations to visit to enjoy up close with community of chimpanzees;

Facts You Need to Know as You Celebrate the World Chimpanzee Day:

Where to See Chimpanzees in Africa?

Uganda

Uganda isn’t only for mountain gorilla trekking, but also for you to immerse yourself in the jungles to see chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Over 5050 chimpanzees are all distributed in the various locations of Uganda.

The most popular sites to visit to trek with chimpanzees in the wild while in Uganda include Kyambura Gorge, Kibale National Park (hosting over 1500 chimpanzees), Kalinzu Forest, Semuliki National Park and Budongo Forest.

Whether you choose to visit Uganda or Tanzania, it is possible to combine other experiences with chimpanzee trekking. You can add onto your chimpanzee trekking

safari package guided mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Tanzania

Talk about Tanzania and what runs at the back of most visitors is the big five or wildebeest migration. But there is more! Tanzania holds a significant population of chimpanzees and is where you can find the 2nd longest running research site for chimp behaviors.

In Tanzania, find chimpanzees in Mahale National Park and Gombe National Park. Chimpanzee safaris in Tanzania are perfectly done from late July to October, the months when the park have abundant forage, especially fruits for these apes to feed on.

Rwanda

Rwanda is most credited for its unmatched gorilla experiences and in addition, it hosts a good population of chimpanzees. In Rwanda, wild chimpanzees exist in Nyungwe Forest National Park located in the far Southern Province.

About 500 chimpanzees survive in the jungles of Nyungwe besides 12 additional primate species. The other location to find chimpanzees on Rwanda safaris is Gishwati-Mukura National Park, the country’s newly created park.

How many wild chimpanzees still exist?

Chimpanzees are among the endemic species and in Africa, they live in 21 countries. These apes survive in the rainforests and savannas of Equatorial Africa, with currently about 170,000 to 300,000 of them left in the natural habitat.

How close are humans to chimpanzees?

Chimpanzees are unique species and regarded as human-closest relatives for a good reason. Over 98.8% of these apes’ DNA is similar to that of man and similarity can easily be observed on actual chimpanzee trek during the one hour of up close.

Are chimpanzees important?

Chimpanzees also regarded as our close relatives; do play a significant role, especially in maintaining the diversity of the forests in East-Central Africa. These apes feed on fruits and big seeds are dispersed.

As a result, they deposit them to new location thus contributing more on spatial and genetic structure of the plant communities.

Are chimpanzees endangered?

Wild chimpanzees are with no doubt at the risk of getting extinct in the near future given the numerous threats. These apes are faced by many threats including habitat loss, poaching, and spread of infectious human diseases.