Black and White Colobus Monkey Trekking
Black and White Colobus Monkey Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of the best primate activities that the park has to offer to its visitors. This activity is best combined with chimpanzee trekking, canopy walk experience, or hiking tours in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park is a beautiful place to visit for nature lovers; the forest is evergreen and is thought to have survived the ice age about 2,500 years ago, so it has a diverse fauna and flora due to a mix of mountain rainforests, bamboo, wetlands, swamps, and savannahs covering over 1000 square kilometers.
Nyungwe Forest National Park is also a notable catchment region since it is located in the center of two huge drainage systems, the Congo and the mighty Nile. After arriving in Nyungwe, you will climb to the ridges that separate the two rivers.
Aside from chimpanzees, there are several monkey species in Nyungwe National Park, including the Rwenzori Colobus, a subspecies of the Angolan Colobus monkey – an attractive Old-World monkey with distinctive black-and-white coat, tufty shoulder pads, and a mohawk.
The Angolan colobus monkeys (Rwenzori colobus monkeys) in the Nyungwe forest create massive groups, known as “supergroups,” of more than 500 individuals, a phenomenon seen solely among the colobus monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park. As a result, Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda has the finest colobus monkey sightings in the world.
The various habitats support a wide range of animal and flora species. There are 13 primate species, including the chimp, 275 bird species, 38 reptiles, and amphibian species, over 1000 plant species, and 85 animal species, including forest buffalos, huge forest pigs, and bushbucks.
Approaching a large group of these colobus monkeys and watching these lovely monkeys that are very active and social, that do a lot of playing and grooming when they are not swarming branches of a fruiting tree, or lining up on the bark and branches of an old tree to eat off the lichens, or covering an entire lush green ground in black and white when they come down from the trees to eat some herbs and clay, is a beautiful wildlife adventure.
During your time with the colobus monkeys, you have a good possibility of seeing additional monkey species that make it a home for large colobus groups. Blue monkeys, Mona monkeys, and Mangabey monkeys are the most regularly seen monkeys accompanying colobus monkeys. They are usually found in small groups of a few individuals and are likely to accompany the giant colobus monkeys for increased protection from predators, particularly chimpanzees.
Black and White Colobus Monkey Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Black and white Colobus monkeys are stunning creatures to photograph, and viewing newborn Colobus monkeys is enthralling for primate enthusiasts. Adult black and white Colobus monkeys have black long and white fur d a whitetail, but juvenile monkeys are usually white.
Visitors can witness Colobus monkeys as well as other primates such as blue monkeys red-tailed monkeys, baboons, Mona monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and chimps when seeing Colobus monkeys.
Each day, the Gisakura colobus monkeys have four trekking schedules: 8 am, 10 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. This group is thus the best option if you wish to supplement your chimpanzee trekking tour in Nyungwe National Park with a brief extra activity.
How Much does it cost to see Black and White Colobus Monkeys in Nyungwe?
Hiking to observe the Black and White Colobus monkeys costs $40 per person, not including park entry fees which cost $100 per person. Viewers can only follow these monkeys for one hour, but they can visit as many times as they wish in a day.
How many groups exist for Black and White Colobus Monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park?
In Nyungwe Forest National Park, two groups of colobus monkeys have been trained for colobus monkey tours. After discovering the monkeys, the colobus tracking tour allows you one hour with them. If you are a photographer, you may spend a whole day with the monkeys, and these monkeys are a photographer’s dream!
One of the two habituated groups consist of a supergroup of 500 or more colobus monkeys, and its area is at Uwinka, which also serves as the park’s visitors’ center or headquarters.
The second group of habituated Colobus monkeys is not a supergroup, as it consists of just approximately 60 individuals. This group is in the Gisakura sector of the national park.
The Gisakura group is the most popular for hiking expeditions since it is simpler to reach without much trekking, and the monkeys frequently hang out along the forest’s edge.
The Uwinka colobus monkeys supergroup travels around in order to get adequate food for the vast group. It occasionally confronts the chimpanzee groups, which live in the Uwinka region, and is forced to run. Chimps consume colobus monkeys and actively seek them for meals. To avoid the chimpanzees, the Uwinka colobus frequently flees to larger regions.
The Uwinka colobus group only has one scheduled every day at 9 a.m. since the experience might last all day depending on where the monkeys move. Unlike the Gisakura group, which may be done as an extra activity on the same day as another activity in Nyungwe, the Uwinka group requires a separate day. This group is perfect if you are looking to spend a full day taking pictures of the colobus monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
What is the age limit for Black and White Colobus Monkey Trekking in Nyungwe?
Only anyone above the age of 12 is permitted to participate in the colobus monkey tracking walk; anyone under this age is not permitted to participate.
Level of fitness required for the Black and White Colobus Monkey Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
If you are visiting the Gisakura group, basic fitness is sufficient. But, if you intend to monitor the Uwinka group, you must be physically active because there may be a lot of hiking up and down slopes and through dense foliage.
Best Time for Black and White Colobus Monkey Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
The Black and white colobus monkey trekking in Nyungwe forest national park is available year-round. However, the drier months (dry season), which are December to February and June to mid-September, are the best for trekking. The ground is treacherous during the wet seasons, April-May and October-November, making the journey more challenging.
Accommodation in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Most motels utilized for stays when visiting Nyungwe National Park for tours, such as Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge, One & Only Nyungwe House, and Gisakura Guesthouse, are located in Gisakura (outside the park). As a result, it is really handy.
