In 2019, with support from USAID, the NFA initiated a plan to construct new tourist facilities, including a lodge and canopy walkways. In response, we conducted a large-scale survey across the entire Kalinzu Forest to identify locations where primates could be reliably observed without causing significant disturbance to their behavior. We employed local youth and organized two teams of two surveyors. Over a three-year period, these teams walked 12 transects—originally created for chimpanzee monitoring—covering approximately 50 kilometers twice weekly. They recorded sightings of chimpanzees and monkeys, as well as human activity within the forest.
The results showed that monkeys were widely distributed at high densities throughout Kalinzu Forest, with higher encounter rates in areas where human presence was frequent. This was likely because arboreal monkeys are less fearful of humans, and areas with frequent human use tend to have more secondary forest, which provides abundant food resources. In contrast, chimpanzee encounter rates were slightly lower in areas with frequent human activity. This may be because chimpanzees, who rely heavily on fruit not typically abundant in secondary forests, and often travel or rest on the ground, tend to avoid contact with humans.
Based on these findings, we proposed that new tourist facilities be built near the NFA office and existing tourist lodge—areas where monkeys can be observed with ease. For chimpanzee viewing, we recommended a tourism model in which visitors walk from these base areas into the forest to observe chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Data sheets
Human activities
Chimpanzees
Other primates
