A World Away

It has now been over 6 months since I left Semliki behind, and as I busy myself studying for finals the hushed libraries and overworked students of Cambridge seem a world away from the cries of hornbills and the hoots of the chimpanzees.

I try not to dwell too long on thoughts of Semliki as I have other things that currently require my concentration, but depsite this I am often aware of a longing to be back in Uganda. As I sit behind desks with piles of books and papers surrounding me I think of how much I'd rather be sat on the decking outside my tent in Semliki, looking out across the patchwork forest and rolling mountains, miles away from the stress of exams and the need to plan my future.

When I chance upon a writing competition being run by the BBC Wildlife Magazine it is therefore with no hesitation that I decide to write about the chimpanzees of Semliki and what was perhaps my most memorable experience with them during my time as a chimpanzee chaser.

Below is the piece that I produced describing this wonderful encounter. I hope that you enjoy it:

The Eyes Have It

Ignoring the thorns that hooked into my shirt and my already-lacerated skin, I fought to get closer to the creatures that had spent the past few hours leading me on a tantalising trail through the forest. By following the sound of snapping branches and the occasional glimpse of black outlines in the interwoven canopy overhead, I was able to clamber and crawl through the thick vegetation after my quarry, working hard to keep up with them as they moved above me with frustrating ease.

Suddenly the noises emerging from the treetops stopped. It seemed that the animals I was pursuing had come to rest in a tree whose trunk stood several metres in front of me. I stopped and crouched low, my pulse racing. For a few minutes nothing happened. The noises of the forest slowly filled the space around me – chirping cicadas, the harsh calls of hornbills and the gentle rustling of branches swaying in the wind. As I waited amongst the tangled vines and sun-dappled buttresses I tried to ignore the burning ache in my thighs and the occasional stabs of pain from the tsetse flies enjoying the taste of my blood. All of my attention was focussed on the gnarled tree in front of me.

After what seemed an age, my eyes were drawn towards movement near the top of the tree. To my delight a leathery grey foot and then a dark, muscular body began to descend the trunk towards my hiding spot. My heart pounded against my ribcage as the creature reached the base of the tree and calmly and deliberately turned to face me. After years of dreaming, months of planning and a long and eventful journey to the Semliki Wildlife Reserve in Uganda, I was finally staring directly into the penetrating eyes of a wild chimpanzee.

As a second, and then a third, chimpanzee slowly and steadily descended in front of me I thought of how lucky I was to see such incredible creatures in their natural habitat. I have been fascinated by animals since childhood, but for a reason I can’t fully explain, primates, and particularly chimpanzees, have always held a special interest for me. As a young girl I used to drag my precious toy monkey around our garden pretending that I was following in the footsteps of Jane Goodall, chasing after ghostly chimpanzees in some far off forest full of exotic wildlife.

As each of the chimpanzees turned to briefly face me my thoughts strayed back along the path that had taken me from my childhood fascination to this incredible encounter. My love of natural history had led me to study Zoology at university and from there to volunteer as a researcher at a chimpanzee project in Uganda. Months of preparation had finally landed me in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, from where I proceeded to travel along bumpy dirt roads, up rolling hills and across snaking rivers to Semliki. I had been crammed like a sardine into dilapidated buses along with locals, luggage and the odd live chicken. I had inhaled vast quantities of dust and diesel fumes on the backs of motorbikes and through the open windows of cars and buses that served as ‘air conditioning’. I had been stranded at the side of bustling Ugandan streets as I waited for lifts to the next stop on my journey; and I had felt a mixture of fear and amazement as I was driven down the incredible, sheer, winding roads of the stunning Rift Valley.

Once in Semliki, I had spent many hours, of many weeks chasing the ever-elusive chimpanzees, up steep escarpments, over churning rivers, through the viciously-barbed forest undergrowth and over large expanses of savannah with its slicing grass and blistering heat, dodging forest elephants and venomous snakes along the way.

Yet now that I was here returning the gaze of the animal that had brought me to Uganda, all thoughts of this toil faded away. Every second of effort catching up with the incredible apes and every step on the trail taken by the young girl playing in the woods to this precious moment had been worth it. Here I was looking into the eyes of an animal that was separated from me by just a few sections of DNA, an animal that I had been mesmerised by for as long as I could remember. And it was every bit as incredible as I had dreamed it would be.

A few favourites

Here are a just a few of my favourite photos from my time in Semliki. If you wish to see more of my Semliki photos visit the Picasa album via the link at the top of the page.

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