In Uganda you can take a ferry on The Nile to get to a forest where you can hike to see the chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
The kids crowd the globe on the banks of the Nile.
The chimpanzees build their nests high in the trees.
Two hikers happily gazing around the forest.
The forest itself is amazing. The tall trees and dense leaves created incredible lighting.
Sunshine through an old chimp sleeping nest.
Spider webs and hornet nests are just two of the life forms we were surrounded by in the jungle.
Fallen trees and snaking vines,
moss colored wood- all created
shady resting spots for animals to take a break from the heat.
A rare Bella monkey inside the branches and roots of the tall trees.
Life in the jungles of Uganda is abundant, interconnected and diverse.
And then, high above us, we were lucky to get a peak at our close relative, the chimpanzee.
It was amazing to spy on this chimp. The similar features and curious eyes made it a bit like looking in the mirror.
And after a morning of watching our primate relative, we then made our way to The Ziwa Rhinoceros Sanctuary. In Uganda, rhinos were once abundant. But now it is only at this sanctuary that you can see these amazing creatures. And it is a very interesting trek as you walk near the rhinos: no fences!
Rosie poses at the welcome center which depicts the history of each rhinoceros. We loved that Augustus, the youngest rhino, was born on Rosie's birthday to a mother named Bella! The girls decided to donate their souvenir money to sponsoring this rhino family.
Here is our group walking in the huge, grassy sanctuary, miles from the nearest town.
Bella and Augustus grazing right in front of us while Bella and Rosie ponder the logic of walking so close to the rhinos. The rhinos can be seen behind Bella's right shoulder.
Up close and personal with the white rhinos!
The guards watch these animals 24 hours a day and know their patterns and habits. They need such care to monitor the rhinos, and protect them from poachers. Here they go into a pose to keep the rhinos calm.
This is as close as I ever want to be to a wild rhino with no fence between us. Amazing!
We were repeatedly told that the gun was for the noise to startle and scare the rhino into retreat, not to shoot it. It has taken too long to bring these animals back to Uganda and the sanctuary is unwilling to harm the rhinos. Sadly, the gun is also needed to scare away poachers who still threaten this project.
Truly amazing animals for their size, power and horns!
The whole trek lasted about 50 minutes and on the trip, we saw 4 different rhinos.
The guides taught us to be calm and to observe the animal in its habitat. They also reminded us to always know where to find the closest tree for climbing just in case.
Fortunately, that exercise was not needed!
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