Ngamba Island

Ngamba is a small forested island on Lake Victoria about twenty-three kilometres from Entebbe, set up in 1998 as a sanctuary for chimpanzees confiscated from the bushmeat and pet trades, most of them orphaned as infants. Around fifty animals live on the island, foraging in the forest and returning for supplementary feeds at set times, which is when visitors watch from a raised platform. Longer programmes allow closer contact with the caregivers.

What you actually see

• The feeding platform - the raised viewing point over the feeding area.
• The forest island - around forty hectares of natural forest the chimps forage in.
• The sanctuary work - the rescue and care of confiscated and orphaned animals.
• The caregiver programmes - longer visits working alongside the keepers.

When to go

Year round; feeds happen at set times in the late morning and afternoon. The boat crossing depends on lake conditions. Booking ahead is required.

Honest expectations

These are rescued animals in a sanctuary, not a wild population. Boat transfers are expensive and add up. Close contact programmes are strictly limited for the animals' health.

Nearby

Entebbe is on the mainland, and Mabamba is west.