The end of an amazing adventure

After two nights spent in Entebbe growing increasingly impatient for the time of my homeward flight to arrive and the long, uncomfortable plane journey itself, I have finally arrived back on British soil. I landed at Heathrow Airport early this morning and after making my way through the necessary security checks and collecting my travel-worn backpack I donned my chimpanzee-chasing hat and gratefully walked through the departure gates into the waiting arms of my sorely-missed mum and sister.

Having since reached the home that I have been half a world away from for nearly eleven weeks I now write this from the comfort of my room, surrounded by my, as yet unpacked, bags and with my head filled with wonderful memories of Uganda. After a truly incredible, but thoroughly exhausting, chimpanzee chasing adventure it is good to be home.

I am sure it will not take long for me to start missing Semliki, and that when I return to university and get stuck back into my studies I will pine for the cool, dark, peacefulness of the forest and the excitement of chasing chimpanzees as I sit bent over books with the stress of essay deadlines upon me. However, for now, I am simply glad to be back among the comforts of home and to see the family and friends who I have been absent from for so long.

With my first chimpanzee chasing adventure having come to an end my Journal is complete, and so I shall leave you here with the hope that you have enjoyed reading about my experiences as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

However, whilst my accounts of this Ugandan adventure have now reached their conclusion, you may want to keep an eye out for the return of this newly-fledged chimpanzee chaser in the not-too-distant future, as I have a feeling that this first foray into the world of chimpanzee chasing will not be my last!

Written on Friday 17th September

A sad goodbye

My last week here in Semliki sped by at an incredible pace. It turned out that my last encounter with the chimpanzees was indeed the exhilarating time spent with them on Thursday evening and Friday morning – as good a final sighting as I could have hoped for.

Despite the absence of the chimpanzees, my final few days here have been wonderful ones. The forest was as enchanting as ever and still teemed with fascinating wildlife, even if its Great Ape inhabitants proved elusive. My last forest visits were spent filled with a bittersweet feeling as I trod the now familiar trails - excited at the thought of home and the family and friends that I shall return to there, but reluctant for my first chimpanzee-chasing adventure to come to an end.

I spent my last day in the forest desperately trying to imprint every image that flashed across my wandering eyes on my memory - not wanting to forget the view of the sun-drenched savannah stretching beyond the patchwork forest to the impressive slopes of the Rwenzoris; nor the image of the sun seeping through the canopy to illuminated the leaf-strewn trail, or the inquisitive gaze of a red-tailed monkey as it peered down through the leaves at me. I didn’t want a single memory of the forest to be lost, and so concentrated intensely in the attempt to take in my incredible surroundings for the final time during yesterday’s forest visit.

Though part of me didn’t want yesterday to end it inevitably did, and so it was with mixed feelings that I stepped out from the shade of the towering trees into the scorching sunshine and trudged up the slope into camp for the last time of this trip.

It was a feeling of sadness that first gripped me as I left the forest. I thought back over some of the amazing experiences I have had there – the elephant encounters; the hours of wading through the twisting river; the climbing and the views over the forest achieved from the treetops; and the sightings of slender serpents, iridescently-spotted guineafowl, playful monkeys and the many other wonderful creatures that the forest houses. Then of course there was the excitement of chimpanzee chasing and the joy of the incredible hours spent with the fascinating apes when we succeeded in catching up with them.

However, whilst I am reluctant to leave Semliki behind, butterflies flutter excitedly within me when my thoughts turn to home. I cannot wait to return to my much-missed family and friends and to share with them the stories, memories and photographs that I will take back with me. I also look forward to the flushing, fly-free toilets, piping hot power showers and other such luxuries that home will bring, and my stomach growls in anticipation when I think of the delicious home-cooked meals that await me.

I therefore felt ready to leave Semliki and keen to get to Entebbe, my final stop before the flight home, as we loaded the car and said our goodbyes this morning. Whilst sad to leave the collection of savannah-surrounded tents that has been my home for the past ten weeks and Edson and the other staff who have made my stay so enjoyable behind, I am now eager to return home.

As the thatched roofs of camp disappeared from view this morning I looked back over my time in Semliki and thought of the many incredible memories I shall return with. Semliki is a place that has made a big impression on me, and I am sure that my dreams shall often turn to the gently swaying savannah grass and the imposing Rwenzori backdrop that I have looked upon so often these past ten weeks when I am tucked up in my bed at home.

I feel that my first experience of field research gained here in Uganda has taught me a lot, and the course that my investigations have taken means that I leave with many new questions buzzing in my head that I would hate to leave unanswered. I would certainly love to come back to Semliki and to be able to put the lessons I have learned to good use and to hunt for the answers to those questions that now so intrigue me.

I therefore sincerely hope that this goodbye is not for good, and that one day I shall return to the stunning scenery, wonderful people and fascinating wildlife that Semliki is home to for another chimpanzee chasing adventure.

Written on Tuesday 14th September

Dawn chorus

After an absence of several days the chimpanzee re-appeared with considerable commotion yesterday evening, much to my delight, as I had feared that I may go my final week here without a sighting of my fascinating study subjects.

The evening of the chimpanzees’ return proved to be a very exciting one, as it was a large group that was spotted close to camp and it appeared to signal the fusion of many previously isolated fractions. Reunions between chimpanzees are typically eventful and often violent, as old dominance relationships are forcibly re-established and that evening was no exception.

A crescendo of screams and hoots emerged from the forest as the fractions reunited, prompting me to hurriedly return to the trails that I have scoured with no success earlier that day. It was definitely worth putting back on damp socks and mud-caked clothing and returning to the forest, as the few hours that I thus gained with the chimpanzees proved to be truly exhilarating.

I had not previously seen the chimpanzees so numerous or so animated, and so it was with wide eyes and a racing pulse that I watched them career through the branches overhead – chasing after each other, aggressively displaying and screaming wildly.

The hysteria gradually died down as darkness descended, and before long the chimpanzees began searching for suitable spots to make a nest for the night. It was the closest I had yet been able to observe the evening bed-making ritual and so I watched fascinated as several chimpanzees constructed their leafy nests above me. I felt hugely grateful to be able to be a spectator to such interesting behaviour, even if it did mean being ravaged by the swarms of bloodthirsty mosquitoes that emerged with the arrival of dusk.

Knowledge of the nest locations for the chimpanzee group meant an especially early start this morning, as we hoped to be stationed close to the nests well before the chimpanzees began to rise.

After a 5:30am alarm call and a hurried breakfast we headed into the eerie darkness of the forest and inched along slowly and carefully along the trail by torchlight – taking in the decidedly different noises and atmosphere of the pre-sunrise forest. We soon came to the nesting site and settled down to take notes on the vocalisations beginning to emanate from the scattered beds.

As the rays of the rising sun proceeded to trickle through the canopy several dark figures slowly arose from their slumber and rolled out of their nests to sit silhouetted against the rapidly-brightening sky on nearby branches. As the chimpanzees awoke it seemed that the excitement of the previous day’s reunion started afresh and a dawn chorus of excited hoots and screams began.

Sadly we were not able to spend long with these chimpanzees today, as the arrival of a collection of noisy tourists caused the group to fragment and hurriedly scatter in many directions and our attempts to relocated its members were ultimately in vain.

However, disappointing as the untimely loss of our chimpanzee subjects may have been, I would definitely consider the effort of prising myself from my warm bed so early this morning worth it, especially as it may well my last chimpanzee encounter of the trip. Being able to sit and watch the chimpanzees above me as they emerged from their leafy beds and rose to face the new day was a wonderful experience and certainly worth leaving my own bed half an hour earlier for!

Written on Friday 10th September

Animal of the week - week 10

Black-headed weaver (Ploceus cucullatus)

Weaver birds get their name from the fascinating behaviour that they display in the breeding season. In order to attract a mate, the male birds each painstakingly construct an impressively elaborate nest of interwoven grass, with the females surveying these nests before choosing the males whose nest exhibit the best location and craftsmanship to father their offspring.

When I arrived her in Semliki a prominent feature of the camp was the lone tree with the dry and decaying weaver nests of the previous breeding season hanging upon it like bizarre baubles. Over two months on these old nests have been ripped from the branches by male weaver birds who have returned once more to compete for the attention of the females with their nest-building efforts.

I watched with great interest as the returning males tore at their previous creations in order to make way for new nests and as they noisily competed for ownership of the best nest sites.

With territories among the branches now established the male birds can be seen from my veranda each day busily collecting the strip of grass that they will steadily amass and weave with great skill to produce the nests. It is amazing the level of dedication that goes into the males’ attempts to secure their ultimate goal – the opportunity to reproduce.

Observing the initial stages of the weavers’ nest –building process draws my thoughts to the intricately interwoven weaver bird nest that sits upon a shelf in my room at home – a much prized souvenir from a trip to Rwanda several years ago.

Whilst I am sure that the feeling experienced when gazing upon the elaborate creations of the weavers and watching their construction against the backdrop of the Rwenzoris shall not be matched by the sight of my lone nest at home, I feel I shall soon be ready to return to my much-loved room and its shelf of travelling mementos and leave the industrious weavers behind. I will be very sad to leave Semliki this Tuesday, but part of me is eager to return to family and friends with my collection of stories and snapshots in tow, and even a couple of additions for my shelf of treasures from my travels.

I have much enjoyed the way that the nest-laden tree and the activity of the weaver birds has altered as I have progressed through my time here, and the endeavours of the brightly coloured birds will be one of the many incredible memories I return home with.

I only hope that one day in the not-too-distant future I shall return to Semliki and that once again the intriguing behaviour of the black-headed weavers, my final ‘animal of the week’, will chart my time in this incredible place.

A treetop treat

With the David, the American student here, conducting research focusing on chimpanzee nests, he employs climbing equipment in order to reach, measure and collect these. Ever since he arrived with his ropes, harness and karabiners in tow I have been desperate to have a go ascending into the treetops and today I got my chance.

I recently stumbled across a cluster of 25 fresh chimpanzee nests in my search for the chimpanzees – a number far greater than previously found at one site here in Semliki. With this unusually high density of nests being discovered David was keen to visit the area for himself to investigate and he kindly offered to take me along with him and let me have a go with his climbing gear whilst we were there.

Always keen for the chance to climb, and intrigued to see a chimpanzee nest up close, I was bubbling with excitement as I watched David set up his equipment and himself ascend into the tree above me, and was itching for my turn to come.

Before long David descended back to the ground with a nest in tow and handed the ropes and harness into my eagerly awaiting hands before giving me a quick tutorial in the art of clog ascending – the method he uses to climb.

Clog ascending involves attaching a set of grips to the ropes and then fixing one of these to a foot and the grasping the remaining two, one in each hand. The grips allow movement upwards but not downwards and so you slide your foot and then arms up the rope in alternation to progress upwards.

Hauling your body weight up the rope is fairly exhausting work and getting the hand of the required movement takes a while. It was therefore relatively slow progress as I ascended the first few metres – inching up the rope like a caterpillar crawling up a silken thread. However I soon got to grips with the technique and my progress sped up considerably, before being slowed once more by the increasing burn in my upper arms.

After around 25 feet or so of effort I reached a crook in the tree I was suspended alongside and clambered into it to enjoy the view and revel in having made it to the treetops on my first clog ascending attempt.

After a brief respite to let the burning ache in my arms subside I was free to explore the canopy and so clambered and swung between the branches for several minutes before deciding to climb higher to get a closer view of the chimpanzee nest above me.

After scrambling another 8 feet or so up the increasingly swaying tree trunk, fighting off a stream of biting ants in the process, I got my first in situ view of the tangle of crushed leaves and broken branches that is a chimpanzee nest. It was brilliant to be able to see the leafy bed that a chimpanzee will make afresh each night from the point of view of its constructor and to think that the chimpanzee owner would have been peacefully sleeping in the same nest not so long ago.

Having explored the upper branches and seen the nearby nest I decided after about half an hour that I had had my fill of canopy clambering for the day and so made ready to return to the forest floor. After a much easier and more rapid descent I once again planted my feet safely on solid ground with a big grin stretched across my face and having thoroughly enjoyed my first clog ascending experience.

Written on Monday 6th September

Done with data

The last couple of days here have been pretty manic. In a final bid to complete my data collection this week and avoid a last minute panic I have spent nearly 20 hours in the forest juggling chimpanzee tracking duties and my own research. However, the effort was definitely worth it as I am pleased and relieved to announce that as of earlier this evening I have finished with the data collecting aspect of my project.

It certainly hasn’t been plain sailing – there has been bureaucracy, a misbehaving GPS, abnormally high rainfall and a distinct lack of wells to deal with among other things. Somehow though I have managed to collect a volume of data that I am satisfied with and can state with some pride that I have officially completed my first ever stint of self-led field research.

With the data in, all that remains for me to do is to analyse it and produce my write-up when I return to the UK. Whilst I am anxious about whether or not all will go smoothly when I return home with my data I realise there is nothing I can do about that right now and so I shall put my worries aside and focus on enjoying the little time I have left here to the full with the weight of my research temporarily lifted from my shoulders.

Besides, whilst I really want my project to be a success, and would love for it to win the praise of my academic supervisors, I can see that no matter what the outcome of my research, this trip will have been a truly incredible experience and will have taught me a lot about what it takes to carry out research in the field and to chase chimpanzees. With that in mind I shall now carefully pack my well-used research notebooks away and concentrate on enjoying my remaining days with the Semliki chimpanzees.

Written on Friday 3rd September

Sketching under the evening sun

My tent here sits upon a raised wooden platform and the area outside it forms a veranda area with a fantastic view over the forest. The spot is bathed each evening in the rich golden glow of the slowly setting sun and is a wonderful place to relax when the afternoon’s tasks have been completed.

I often sit and read in this sun-drenched spot until the dimming light and swarming insects force me inside. I also find it a perfect place to put the small art set my mum gave me to take out here to good use and indulge in an hour or two spent sketching – something I really enjoy but rarely find time to do at home.

Warmed by the sun and accompanied by the sounds of the forest I find my time spent sketching and the concentration it involves very relaxing and a great way to unwind at the end of a long day.

Those evenings spent with sketching pencils in hand have been an unexpected bonus to my time here and I am very grateful for them. It wil be nice to take home a collection of drawings of the animals, birds and other sights that I have encountered here along with the hundreds of photos I am steadily amassing.

I would never have thought that it would take a journey of thousands of miles to an incredible isolated environment and exhausting schedule to bring me back to a past hobby, but I am glad it did and so will happily continue to add to my sketchbook in my remaining evenings here.

Written on Tuesday 1st September

Animal of the week - week 9

Forest elephant (Loxodonta Africana cyclotis)

The forest elephant is one of the two recognised subspecies of African elephant, the other being the substantially larger savannah type. The forest variety differs in several aspects other than size, noticeably it has more rounded ears and possesses tusks that are more downwards pointing to facilitate movement through the dense vegetation of the forest habitats they frequent.

It is incredible to think that such large creatures can move with ease in an environment that we have difficulty progressing through despite our secateurs. That is until you see evidence of the passage of the forest giants and realise that their bulk enables them to employ a method of movement that centres upon simply barging through the understorey as branches, vines and even small trees yield before them.

Frequently we come across trails of destruction in the forest that suggest the passage of a tank but are coupled with giant unmistakable footprints and piles of dung. The trampled grass and torn branches act to remind us that we are sharing the forest with the elusive elephants, as does the sound of trumpeting that often meets our ears as we move along the trails.

At times it has to be said that the elephants appear to be a little too close for comfort. For example, a few days ago we were startled by the sound of loud trumpeting emanating from the nearby forest as we traipsed through tall grass on the chase of chimpanzees. I asked William, the day’s ranger, where the trumpeting was coming from. “Jogo Jogo trail”, he replied. Moments later I asked where next he planned to take us in our search for the chimpanzees. “Jogo Jogo trail” he responded, apparently with no fear for our safety in light of his previous answer.

We put our trust in the previously-dependable William and headed off in the direction of the trumpeting. However, I have to admit that I was slightly worried when at one point we used a newly trampled elephant trail, complete with steaming dung piles, as a shortcut!

The sound of trumpeting is an exciting addition to the noises of the forest and the lack of recent sightings of the forest elephants despite their occasional proximity has made me realise how lucky I have been to glimpse them at all during my time here.

I love the thought of such giant beasts ambling through the forest and I am amazed by the ease with which the damage they leave behind them suggests they do so. The impressively powerful and fascinating forest elephant is therefore my 9th ‘animal of the week’.

The search for the fabled fall

For some weeks now I have been intrigued by the ‘waterfall’ waypoint marked on my GPS by its previous owner. Having never quite made it to the end of the Mugiri trail and the promised location of the fabled fall I was keen to investigate, and with chimpanzees being sighted near there yesterday afternoon today seemed like a good opportunity to do so.

Upon entering the forest early this morning we set off upon the 8km journey to the waterfall, pausing frequently to check tracks and shaken branches for clues to the chimpanzees’ whereabouts. The walk took us further than I’d previously explored and before long I found myself in an excitingly unfamiliar area of the forest, where the normally gently bubbling river changed into a torrent of tumbling water.

I always love the exploratory feel of my first encountes with previously unvisited portions of the trails, and this part of the forest was particularly beautiful. Additionally, the act of searching for a waterfall known only from a GPS point and the accounts of previous visitors gave the trek a definite air or adventure.

Eventually we were greeted by the incessant pounding of water that signalled our arrival at our destination. In reality there is not one, but two waterfalls at the site - the one further upstream being the more impressive of the two, with a cascade of water around ten metres high carving intricate crevices into the surrounding rocks and leaving them glistening with spray.

Ever eager for the chance to explore I suggested to Eli, our ranger for the day, that we climb up the valley sides to the top of the second fall to see what could be found there. Somewhat unexpectedly Eli agreed and so he and I set off up the steep slopes scrambling over rocks, roots and vines in our quest to discover what lay atop that second waterfall.

It turned out that beyond the second waterfall lay a third fall. This one was smaller but, in my eyes, more beautiful, with the dark red, spray-drenched rocks that framed the falling water glistening in the sun. Once I had insisted on crawling out over a ledge to peer down over the cascading water of the fall we had just climbed up, we naturally decided to find what was upstream of waterfall number three.

Upon reachig the top of that third waterfall it seemed that the time had come for our exploratory foray to come to an end, as we were presented with no falls but merely a new stretch of river. Disappointed to find no more waterfalls to climb, but having thoroughly enjoyed our brief exploration we headed back down to where Duncan and our chapatti-filled lunch box were waiting.

With our bellies filled we headed back downstream. My hopes were briefly raised when a trail of partly eaten fruit suggestive of chimpanzees was found, but unfortunately that trail soon led to a dead end and so we arrived back at camp with no chimpanzee sightings to report, but able to verify the existence of the fabled fall and to announce our discovery of the third waterfall.

Despite the lack of chimpanzees, today has been a great day. Having been here nearly 8 weeks now there are few sections of trail remaining unexplored for me, and so today’s excursion into unfamiliar territory, and the included scrambling search for what lay beyond the known waterfalls, was a brilliant adventure.

Written on Sunday 29th August

A forest full of thorns

Whilst I love the forest here in Semliki and find it an incredible place to work, I will admit that there is a less than welcoming side to it.

As I discovered in my first few days here, when rushing eagerly off-trail into the tangled vegetation, many of the forest’s vines, shrubs and branches are armed with vicious spines and thorns. These well-defended plants act to slow our progress through the understorey, with the hooked barbs that many possess often latching onto clothes or skin to pull us sharply backwards as we chase after the chimpanzees.

In addition to the pain inflicted upon us by the vegetation, much of the forest’s insect population mounts daily attacks on our flesh, and I am regularly subjected to the bites of many a mosquito, tsetse fly and ant as I move amongst the branches and vines.

A day in the forest frequently leaves me covered in bites, scratches and puncture wounds, and I spend many an afternoon busy extracting thorns from my skin and covering swollen bites in antihistamine.

It seems that intact and unbitten skin is a necessary sacrifice when in the business of chimpanzee chasing, and so it is lucky for me that it is one I am more than happy to make. After all, what’s a few scratches when you get to spend time with the Semliki chimpanzees!

Written on Friday 28th August

Animal of the week - week 8

Emerald tree snake (Hapsidophrys smaragdina)

Many a time, as I walk through the forest, a particularly vivid green vine transforms before my eyes into an emerald tree snake, often as I am just about to walk into it. Thankfully these well-camouflaged snakes are non-venomous and so I can enjoy my encounters with the elegant serpents without fear for my life.

The slender dazzling green snakes with their striking black eye stripes are, in my opinion, very beautiful and I am always happy to see them emerge from the undergrowth.

On ocassion the emerald tree snakes have made an even less expected appearance, such as the time when one fell almost into my lap from a beam above me as I sat reading outside my tent. We are told by Nadia and Keith that it is not uncommon for snakes to fall from the trees above as you walk through the forest and so I sincerely hope that it is the harmless emerald tree snakes that continue to fall into my path and not their more deadly relatives!

While I more frequently encounter birds and mammals on my forest visits, and these tend to be the focus of the attention of tourists who come here, there are many equally fascinating reptiles lurking among the roots and vines. I have been lucky enough to see several of Semliki’s reptile species, such as the blue-headed tree agama, rock python, spotted bush snake and velvety-green night adder, but it is the emerald tree snake that I will remember most fondly. Due to my frequent encounters with the slender serpents, and to their elegance and knack of materialising from the vegetation before my eyes, the emerald tree snake is my favourite of the reptiles I have seen in Uganda so far and is also my 8th ‘animal of the week’.

A lazy day

A day off here in Semliki is rarely what the name would suggest. Whilst it does provide a brief respite from our toils in the forest and the opportunity for a much-appreciated lie in, the need to organise equipment, write up data, wash clothes and carry out other such tasks means that there is little time left for relaxation. Today however was an exception.

Since the arrival of David and Holly, mine and Duncan’s day off has moved to Wednesday, so that between the four of us we can ensure that someone is out searching for the chimpanzees every day of the week. Since this means that our day off now coincides fortnightly with the supply trip and its early departure, this means that the treat of a lie in for me has now reduced to just once every other week.

Having not slept in past sunrise for two weeks I was therefore very grateful for the extra few hours in bed this morning and finally emerged from my tent into the blazing sunshine and cicada chorus feeling much refreshed.

The day got better from there on, as Nadia and Keith had generously offered us the use of the safari lodge pool and so, after a late breakfast, Duncan and I set off in the direction of the lodge laden with towels, suncream, chocolate and other such poolside necessities.

We had hoped to cut the 5km journey to the lodge short by borrowing the camp bicycle, but soon discovered that attempting to cycle a rickety old bike with a passenger and several bags on the back down a narrow dirt road leaves you hot, breathless and splattered with mud but not much closer to your destination!

With cycling proving too difficult, we decided to walk the rest of the way and so set off at a brisk pace under the glaring sun with thoughts of the pristine pool spurring us on. Several kilometres, two dozen painful tsetse fly bites and one python sighting later we arrived at the lodge to find that the walk had definitely been worth it.

With no guests currently in residence, and Nadia and Keith occupied elsewhere, Duncan and I had the plush lodge and its pool to ourselves. We spent a few wonderful hours there, where I relished gliding through the cool refreshing water and relaxing at the poolside accompanied by a good book and a bar of Dairy Milk.

I soon felt more relaxed that I had done in weeks as I lay soaking up the sun with the pool glistening beside me. Eventually the time came to leave and so Duncan and I reluctantly dragged ourselves away from our luxurious surroundings and began the journey back to camp.

Upon returning to camp I continued my day of relaxation. I first sat on the verandah of our tent platform under the rich evening sun, simply enjoying the view out across the mosaic of trees with the vivid flowers and the feather duster tails of the black and white colobus monkeys dotted amongst them. Then I leant back in my deckchair and returned to my book with the sounds of hooting colobus, bird song and the hum of cicadas providing some wonderful background noise.

Today has been a truly lazy day – a rare occurrence during my time here in Uganda. As I sit writing this surrounded by the orange glow of the setting sun I feel calm and content and very appreciative of my incredible surroundings. I am now eager to get back to work with my newly recharged batteries and shall return to chimpanzee chasing tomorrow with a spring in my step ready to make the most of my remaining few weeks here in Semliki.

Written Wednesday 25th August