African Primates

Gorillas are made up of a few different subspecies, however the Mountain Gorilla is the most sought after for tourists. Sadly, only 660 individuals remain from this species. They are confined to the Virunga Volcanoes that make up the great rift valley that serves as the border between Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. This stunningly beautiful part of the world is the last safe haven for the critically endangered mountain gorilla. These gorillas tend to inhabit the slopes of the mountains and dormant volcanoes at high altitudes and will not even cross an open plain: They would rather go around any open meadows or plains [...]

Bonobos are tied with Chimpanzees for the animal closest to humans genetically (98%) and in their general behaviour. They are very intelligent and look very similar to chimps too, with distinctive black faces and parted long hair and webbed toes that make climbing trees easier. They are also a similar height to chimps at 4ft and weigh between 65-85lb. And they have a very long life expectancy of around 50 years in the wild but up to 60 years in captivity. They are found exclusively within the DR Congo and are often found in rain forest around the shores of the River Congo. This [...]

The Chimpanzee (Chimps) is the closest living relative to humans. Chimps are very adaptable because they are not fussy eaters. Their preferred staple food source comes from various fruits of the forests, but they will also eat leaves, buds and blossoms. It is only when they reach an age of 4 years old or over that they will become slightly more picky and pick only the ripest fruits with 80 different types of plant food. In fact, chimps will spend up to 8 hours a day searching and eating food, and occasionally will supplement their diet with meat from goats or young antelopes or [...]

The Bush Baby has a cute appearance, and is one of the world's smallest primates. In fact newborn Bush Babies only weight half an ounce, while even at full size they are only 7 to 8 inches tall and only weigh 5 to 10 ounces. They have very large round eyes and bat-like ears and have extremely good night vision which helps them catch and eat insects n the dark, which is part of their omnivorous diet. In addition to insects, they will also eat fruit, leaves and the gum of trees. The Bush Baby likes to inhabit woodlands where it can hide from [...]