Established in 1998 with only 11 chimpanzees, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary is home to 52 Chimpanzees (as of May 2023). Most of the chimpanzees at the island were originally rescued from Illegal wildlife traders with intension to sale them as pets, for bushmeat, local medicine or other unacceptable uses. A number of chimpanzees at the island were picked from different places as orphans whose parents died of different causes.
The Sanctuary covers close to 100 acres of which 95% is typically natural forest where these Great Apes roam and forage freely.
In August 2023, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary management is set for a big silver jubilee celebration. This is in honor of the island’s commitment to conserve chimpanzees in captivity. The sanctuary that started as a project spearheaded by Dr. Jane Goodall in 1998 is now a model Sanctuary in Africa and attracts over 5000 visitors annually.
The silver jubilee celebration will be marked by a number of activities which will include among others Virtual Tours, question and answer live sessions with Chimpanzee Caregivers and well-wishers, a tree planting Campaign, the chimp challenge and many others. There will also be a public lecture and cocktail with Dr. Jane Goodall. All these activities are aimed at fundraising and raising awareness about the intelligent creatures. Everyone is welcome to be part of the activities for the planned celebration and detailed schedule will be shared or can reach out to our sales team sales@adventureconsults.com for more information.
Visiting Ngamba Chimpanzee Island sanctuary is one of Adventure Consults’ popular day excursions out of Entebbe. A day trip to the island provides first-hand information on the effort required to take care of orphaned chimpanzees. Visitors participate in the feeding exercise and get to know how much food chimpanzees eat every day. The amazing island team is always there to guide visitors as they watch chimpanzee take care of each other,learn about their social behavior and lifestyles, history and how each individual found its way to the island.
A talk by the island team offers lifechanging knowledge about chimpanzee conservation. Get to know the threats and challenges chimpanzee face while in the wild.
We also organize overnight stays, so the island visit can be a perfect weekend gateway or short extension after a good classic safari
How to get to Ngamba Island: Adventure Consults has got two daily departures. Morning schedule departs at 0830 hours and afternoon at 1245 hours. We have an option for the Speedboat option which takes approximately 45-50 minutes and a traditional motorized canoe takes approximately 90 minutes. We can also arrange a scenic helicopter flying option which takes about 20 minutes from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Air strip near Kampala.
Pick a trip!