Planning starts to go to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, one of many islands on Northern Territory of Victoria Lake. My friend calls the number Claire, our hostess provides us to make
reservations. The price is $168/person round trip since we are the only two
passengers. Hmmm, it feels like it is a bit too much. My friend wears his
experienced-in-Africa hat and tells him boldly it is too much and asks him to call us back
if they find other customers. Will they dare losing the only two customers, we will see.
On the way to Chimpanzee Sanctuary
They do call us back, the new price is $118/person, we don’t know if they found new customers or simply don’t want to miss the only two available. This is closer to the rate my travel book gives us. My friend tells him “We will think about it, call us back later”. They don’t. We decide to go down to the waterfront to do the bargaining face to face. It will turn out to be the best idea! We walk the 2 miles to the waterfront. Some young man we ask for directions takes us to the “pier” and hands us to the “manager”. We ask him if they have any customers other than us and what the price would be.
The human-occupied part of Ngamba Island, rest enjoyed by chimpanzees
He tells us there is a variety of prices depending on what we want! And starts the biggest scam-show I have seen in all my travels regarding making arrangements for a boat tour... He shows us a medium size boat and tells us we can rent this boat for $400 for the day. He is mumbling other prices for other boats. I am totally lost. We finally come to an even smaller boat, he tells us the man sitting in the boat who turns out to be Oliver from France rent edthis boat privately for $700. Wow, you never know, in whose pocket there is big money: I could swear he is an ordinary low-end traveler if it weren't for the big camera hanging from his neck. I guess a humble rich man.
My friend, Phillip, guide on the island and Oliver from left to right
My friend asks me whether we should ask the man in the boat to permit us to get on the boat as well. Well, that is a “no, no”, in the US, I shy away from this. Why would a man who paid $700 for his private experience allow us to ruin his solitude? My friend is bolder, I am blown away with Oliver’s kindness: He says “No problem”. My friend tells him “We certainly will contribute to your expense”. Of course we will, but the “manager” and his team mate on the pier jump into the discussion and interfere “No, no, no, you will pay us the $88/person”. Apparently my friend had already brought the bargain price down to that! My first doubts about Oliver having chartered the boat for $700 are beginning to sprout right there and then, but not sure.
What peace and love...
But we don’t have cash to pay, they tell us we can pay on the island via our credit card, fine. We get on the boat, Oliver is already sitting in the middle of the central seat, the seat farthest away from any water splashing: He 's got the right to that seat, he paid big bucks! I am hesitant to say anything to Oliver since this is his private trip to which he graciously allowed us intruders. However, my friend as natural a Turk as one can be, is not that hesitant and strikes up a conversation with him. Hmmm, Oliver is not reacting as if we are intruders at all. What humility... At some point, I dare asking him if he is a professional photographer looking at his huge cameras. To my surprise, he is not, although a treasure is hanging down his neck!
Oliver in action taking a picture of the tree full of nests that the male bird weaves with great patience...
Oliver is an amateur photographer, who is passionate about birds and all animals of our planet. Wow, we are in good company! He is on this trip to document wild life, that's all. A while later, I dare ask him what he does in France apart from photography. He tells me he works in a church as a sactitian “I serve the priest” are his words. Wow, not even a priest, and he can afford renting a boat for $700... There is either something wrong with this picture or with us two doctors, who cannot afford a $700/day rental boat!
On the way to Chimpanzee Sanctuary
They do call us back, the new price is $118/person, we don’t know if they found new customers or simply don’t want to miss the only two available. This is closer to the rate my travel book gives us. My friend tells him “We will think about it, call us back later”. They don’t. We decide to go down to the waterfront to do the bargaining face to face. It will turn out to be the best idea! We walk the 2 miles to the waterfront. Some young man we ask for directions takes us to the “pier” and hands us to the “manager”. We ask him if they have any customers other than us and what the price would be.
He tells us there is a variety of prices depending on what we want! And starts the biggest scam-show I have seen in all my travels regarding making arrangements for a boat tour... He shows us a medium size boat and tells us we can rent this boat for $400 for the day. He is mumbling other prices for other boats. I am totally lost. We finally come to an even smaller boat, he tells us the man sitting in the boat who turns out to be Oliver from France rent edthis boat privately for $700. Wow, you never know, in whose pocket there is big money: I could swear he is an ordinary low-end traveler if it weren't for the big camera hanging from his neck. I guess a humble rich man.
My friend asks me whether we should ask the man in the boat to permit us to get on the boat as well. Well, that is a “no, no”, in the US, I shy away from this. Why would a man who paid $700 for his private experience allow us to ruin his solitude? My friend is bolder, I am blown away with Oliver’s kindness: He says “No problem”. My friend tells him “We certainly will contribute to your expense”. Of course we will, but the “manager” and his team mate on the pier jump into the discussion and interfere “No, no, no, you will pay us the $88/person”. Apparently my friend had already brought the bargain price down to that! My first doubts about Oliver having chartered the boat for $700 are beginning to sprout right there and then, but not sure.
But we don’t have cash to pay, they tell us we can pay on the island via our credit card, fine. We get on the boat, Oliver is already sitting in the middle of the central seat, the seat farthest away from any water splashing: He 's got the right to that seat, he paid big bucks! I am hesitant to say anything to Oliver since this is his private trip to which he graciously allowed us intruders. However, my friend as natural a Turk as one can be, is not that hesitant and strikes up a conversation with him. Hmmm, Oliver is not reacting as if we are intruders at all. What humility... At some point, I dare asking him if he is a professional photographer looking at his huge cameras. To my surprise, he is not, although a treasure is hanging down his neck!
Oliver is an amateur photographer, who is passionate about birds and all animals of our planet. Wow, we are in good company! He is on this trip to document wild life, that's all. A while later, I dare ask him what he does in France apart from photography. He tells me he works in a church as a sactitian “I serve the priest” are his words. Wow, not even a priest, and he can afford renting a boat for $700... There is either something wrong with this picture or with us two doctors, who cannot afford a $700/day rental boat!
Captain Henry is pretty competent, surfs the waves very
elegantly. My friend tells me that pretty much everybody here has an English
name and an African name if they are Christian. If they are Muslim, they have
three names to include their Muslim name in the mixture. Interestingly, the Muslims introduce themselves
with their Muslim name, but Christians do so by their English names. Rarely
somebody introduces themselves with their African name. We ask people what their
African name is, though, and address them with their African name, considering they would identify themselves as African first and foremost, and it may be true since they seem to
like being addressed with their African name.
We pass by many islands all green and lush with structures
buried in the wooded land. Just before landing on Ngamba Island, we pass by one
that is barren with barely a couple of trees left on it. The shore is lined
with make shift tin shacks. Among them are kids running wild with an occasional
woman or two. What happened to this island? We will learn soon that there was a
horrible fire that burned everything down. The village is just coming back to
life. Life? Even my aorta is constricting with the sight. Little do I know that
it will get worse when we glide by its east side on the way back.
The barren island with its cottages, my heart sank as we passed by it and heard their story
I will learn later from Keith, the British tenant of our hostess that the population on the islands of Lake Victoria has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS on the continent. The men living on the islands have a different wife on multiple islands and transmit the virus to multiple islands during their wife-visits! I cannot understand why it is this difficult to educate African men on the importance of the use of a darn condom with every intercourse. How difficult is it to help them understand that what they do is eventually a huge risk for their own lives... Is it their misperception that this is colonialists' interference with their sex life? I can't think of anything else. Even with that, would local trainers have found a way to educate them if only tribes had stopped fighting against one another and focus on their people's well-being...
I will learn later from Keith, the British tenant of our hostess that the population on the islands of Lake Victoria has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS on the continent. The men living on the islands have a different wife on multiple islands and transmit the virus to multiple islands during their wife-visits! I cannot understand why it is this difficult to educate African men on the importance of the use of a darn condom with every intercourse. How difficult is it to help them understand that what they do is eventually a huge risk for their own lives... Is it their misperception that this is colonialists' interference with their sex life? I can't think of anything else. Even with that, would local trainers have found a way to educate them if only tribes had stopped fighting against one another and focus on their people's well-being...
We are finally on the wooden pier of the island. It is a
beautiful place. A tree to the west growing out of the water is a lovely
perching place for black gray flock of birds. Another one to the east for white
birds that we will get used to seeing all along Lake Victoria shores. Phillip is
our guide on the island. When I ask him at some point to tell us how he got
involved with this sanctuary, we learn that he was a teacher by education.
However, as he was looking for a job, he had volunteered for the Zoo, where the
chimpanzees that were rescued were initially quarantined for 3 months until they
got a clean bill of health:
Birds all around on Ngamba Island
Apparently, when rescued chimpanzees are in quarantine, their volunteer caretakers live with them in the same room until they are all cleared. Thus, he fell in love with chimpanzees. When this opening to guide visitors came up, not having found a teaching job, he jumped on the opportunity and is very happy with what he is doing. On the way to the restroom, I see multiple at least two feet long lizards as Phillip mentioned that we might see. Finally we head toward the fence across which they will feed the chimpanzees. On the way to, we learn about traps used by poachers to catch chimpanzees. I can't help but think whether the same might have been used to catch slaves once upon a time.
Phillips ready to show us one od the trap mechanisms used to catch chimpanzees by the poachers
He shows us two different kinds of traps used by poachers to catch chimpanzees. Later I will learn from Andrew Graham, who was on the island making a documentary for BBC on this sanctuary and with whom we will travel back to Entebbe that 25% of chimpanzees in the wild have at least one leg amputated. Those that have both leg amputated develop arms with muscles like Hercules. The chimpanzees gradually start emerging from the woods. One of the visitors and employees are throwing pineapple, mango, and other vegetable chunks from over the high fence.
Right around 10:30, with no invitation, chimpanzees emerge out of the woods, snack time!
The chimps are catching their share one by one. If one doesn’t get their share in a timely manner, they either grunt and scream, or the patient ones, raise their arm to let the feeder know they are ready for more. The latter is Makada, the leader of the entire pack, the status of which he earned because he is the strongest one in the group is one of those modest and patient ones. Phillip tells us they are extremely smart, being our closest relative in the wild. What he next does blows my mind away:
Makada, the leader of the pack, just raises his hand to ask for more food when the others are running around to catch more food
He shows us a prickly leaf and as he rolls the leaf into a hollow cigarette he tells us “A chimpanzee that has an intestinal worm infestation swallows this leaf. As this roll passes through their intestines the worms get hooked onto the thorns on the leaf.” Since the leaf is indigestible, as the leaf leaves their digestive system, so do the worms!!! Chimpanzees had mastered TREATING their parasitosis. Just like the non-medical medicinal people that used trial-and-error treatment modalities that have been prevalent in many cultures on all continents through history...
One of the chimps upset about not getting more food!
Phillip tells us that the sanctuary started with 19 rescued chimpanzees. They were either found in the wild trapped, or captured from “pethood” when somebody reported an incident. of such. Now they have around 40 chimps by new acquirements, but they do not want the pack to grow since they don’t have enough land and they want the chimpanzees to be returned to the wild when possible. I am impressed to hear from the veterinarian we meet that in the wild, for chimpanzees to survive, 100 hectars of land per animal is necessary! No wonder they don't want the pack to grow on an island.
The sad part of the island is the behaviorally challenged chimps behind bars, just like human society...
The vet will tell us he was educated in Uganda, at the only veterinarian school in the country. He provides vaccines, casts fractures, implants contraceptives and replaces them every two years. The medicines used are the same as those used for humans. He tells us the animals fight occasionally and bite each other, he stitches their wounds as needed. The story about how the veterinarian becomes aware of the need for stitching is mind-boggling: The wounded chimpanzee will come to the fence and show the wound to an attendant asking for treatment! I am dumb-founded just as my friend is... We learn that four babies were delivered on the island due to implant failure when they used to replace the contraceptive implants every 3 years. The story of chimpanzee named Africa is special: She delivered a baby named Easy. The delivery occurred at night when there was no staff in attendance. Easy fell and had a fracture. Because of that she had to be removed from her mother for treatment at birth, which interfered with their bonding. Apparently, injured infants are not nurtured in the wild...
Circumferentially fenced in section where Africa and Easy, her offspring are being integrated into the pack
That is why Africa and Easy are in a separate fenced-in section adjacent to the woods being integrated with a number of influential chimpanzees including Makada, the leader. The expectation is that when they join the entire pack, the influential ones that she currently lives with will protect Easy. The final set of chimpanzees we visit are three younger ones with “behavioral problems”. These are the ones that constantly fight, bite, and cause aggression when they are with other chimpanzees. If they are so similar to us, why wouldn’t this also be similar? After all, all these animals come from trauma background, some perhaps more than others and understandably with various degrees of resiliency. Just like traumatized human beings, the chimpanzees must also be engaging in high-risk behaviors!
Apparently, when rescued chimpanzees are in quarantine, their volunteer caretakers live with them in the same room until they are all cleared. Thus, he fell in love with chimpanzees. When this opening to guide visitors came up, not having found a teaching job, he jumped on the opportunity and is very happy with what he is doing. On the way to the restroom, I see multiple at least two feet long lizards as Phillip mentioned that we might see. Finally we head toward the fence across which they will feed the chimpanzees. On the way to, we learn about traps used by poachers to catch chimpanzees. I can't help but think whether the same might have been used to catch slaves once upon a time.
He shows us two different kinds of traps used by poachers to catch chimpanzees. Later I will learn from Andrew Graham, who was on the island making a documentary for BBC on this sanctuary and with whom we will travel back to Entebbe that 25% of chimpanzees in the wild have at least one leg amputated. Those that have both leg amputated develop arms with muscles like Hercules. The chimpanzees gradually start emerging from the woods. One of the visitors and employees are throwing pineapple, mango, and other vegetable chunks from over the high fence.
The chimps are catching their share one by one. If one doesn’t get their share in a timely manner, they either grunt and scream, or the patient ones, raise their arm to let the feeder know they are ready for more. The latter is Makada, the leader of the entire pack, the status of which he earned because he is the strongest one in the group is one of those modest and patient ones. Phillip tells us they are extremely smart, being our closest relative in the wild. What he next does blows my mind away:
Makada, the leader of the pack, just raises his hand to ask for more food when the others are running around to catch more food
He shows us a prickly leaf and as he rolls the leaf into a hollow cigarette he tells us “A chimpanzee that has an intestinal worm infestation swallows this leaf. As this roll passes through their intestines the worms get hooked onto the thorns on the leaf.” Since the leaf is indigestible, as the leaf leaves their digestive system, so do the worms!!! Chimpanzees had mastered TREATING their parasitosis. Just like the non-medical medicinal people that used trial-and-error treatment modalities that have been prevalent in many cultures on all continents through history...
Phillip tells us that the sanctuary started with 19 rescued chimpanzees. They were either found in the wild trapped, or captured from “pethood” when somebody reported an incident. of such. Now they have around 40 chimps by new acquirements, but they do not want the pack to grow since they don’t have enough land and they want the chimpanzees to be returned to the wild when possible. I am impressed to hear from the veterinarian we meet that in the wild, for chimpanzees to survive, 100 hectars of land per animal is necessary! No wonder they don't want the pack to grow on an island.
The vet will tell us he was educated in Uganda, at the only veterinarian school in the country. He provides vaccines, casts fractures, implants contraceptives and replaces them every two years. The medicines used are the same as those used for humans. He tells us the animals fight occasionally and bite each other, he stitches their wounds as needed. The story about how the veterinarian becomes aware of the need for stitching is mind-boggling: The wounded chimpanzee will come to the fence and show the wound to an attendant asking for treatment! I am dumb-founded just as my friend is... We learn that four babies were delivered on the island due to implant failure when they used to replace the contraceptive implants every 3 years. The story of chimpanzee named Africa is special: She delivered a baby named Easy. The delivery occurred at night when there was no staff in attendance. Easy fell and had a fracture. Because of that she had to be removed from her mother for treatment at birth, which interfered with their bonding. Apparently, injured infants are not nurtured in the wild...
That is why Africa and Easy are in a separate fenced-in section adjacent to the woods being integrated with a number of influential chimpanzees including Makada, the leader. The expectation is that when they join the entire pack, the influential ones that she currently lives with will protect Easy. The final set of chimpanzees we visit are three younger ones with “behavioral problems”. These are the ones that constantly fight, bite, and cause aggression when they are with other chimpanzees. If they are so similar to us, why wouldn’t this also be similar? After all, all these animals come from trauma background, some perhaps more than others and understandably with various degrees of resiliency. Just like traumatized human beings, the chimpanzees must also be engaging in high-risk behaviors!
Before we leave, I purchase from the gift shop a set of
beautiful African wooden salad serving utensils, a set of coasters made of
marble, and two book marks with African women figurines on to share with my
friends. No plan and who will get what for now, they will find their owners, I suspect... Phillip takes us to a tree that is full of hundreds of male black
headed swivels, busy with making a nest for the eggs of their females! Such
engineering: each nest has an opening that looks down. It is difficult to
understand how the eggs will stand gravity. Phillip shows us a fallen nest: The
nest is in the shape of a snail’s shell. Not only there is a vertical septum
between the opening of the nest and the section of the nest where the eggs will
be laid, but that chamber also hangs lower than the opening in horizontal
plane: Ingenious!
We are all ready to move back to our boat. There are three
people in the boat already, occupying the seat that Oliver had used on the way
to the island. Oliver is right in front of us. I assume he will wait for his
private charter boat to arrive. But, no. He jumps in the boat and sits some
place that is not the best seat on the boat. The still trusting me is wondering if ,after having paid $700 for his trip to the island, he will make a fuss
about this, but, no! My suspicions about whether Oliver had a private charter at all surface with great might! It finally downs on me that he is just one of us. It was all a hoax to make us believe someone
could rent a boat for $700, so that we would be excited about the $400 deal. I
understand better now why my friend, having lived in Africa for 6 months is so
frustrated with “you can’t trust anything” here…
There is such an interesting dynamic here regarding honesty,
trust, and ethics. My friend tells me "there is none of that". Corruption and poverty are such huge
tumors in almost all countries in Africa he further tells me, there are handfuls
of people who thrive in riches because of corruption at the expense of
devoiding their people of an economy, of infrastructure, of free public
education, of health care, and other basic resources needed in any country.
This macro level corruption then trickles down to the entire fabric of the
society allowing it become the rule of the land and the tool to solve any and
every problem including poverty.
The west still has its hands in this, too, even if we forget for a
moment their "deeds" of the past, exploitations of this continent for centuries and
befriending the worst of Africa to reach their goals consisting of money, riches,
diamonds, ivory, ores, slaves, on and on… They still do. As long as monstrous rulers in
Africa play along with the west, they are fine. And those leaders play along as
long as they get “a bone or two” thrown at them at the mercy of the west.
Nobody cares about the man on the street. My friend tells me about an African state's president telling his military “I can’t pay your salary, but all the women are yours”; no wonder rape of women is an endemic phenomenon in many war-torn
African countries nowadays.
On the boat, next to me is Andrew Graham, who is a retiree
from BBC after a 15-year tenure as a reporter. He now has his own company and
produces documentary films on environmental and habitat protection issues for BBC. His
African assistant Mbiri (His English/Christian name is James) speaks Luo. He
proudly announces that Luo is the language of the tribe that Obama’s father
came from. Andrew comes from a family of intergenerational doctors, he is the
only “black sheep” he reports smilingly. He carries all necessary paraphernalia
necessary for tea and coffee and serves us all tea, what a bonus!
Henry stops the boat on top of Equator, where all GPS devices read 0
latitude! My friend checks his cell phone, right on, verified. When we get back
to the waterfront, another trick is waiting for us. Somebody from this
enterprise is waiting for us with a credit card machine. However, he tells us
that after consulting with his boss, he has to inform us that he will charge us
$118 per person instead of the agreed upon $88. My friend is visibly upset,
justly so. With his firm protest, the guy backs off, we are back to $88. I
can’t believe what is unfolding before our eyes...
This island on the way to Ngamba was burned down last year, now a barren field of tin shacks with a very high HIV prevalence
These people are supposed to be employees of the sanctuary, however there is no registration for documenting how many people visit the island. The prices fluctuating anywhere from $700 to $88, one wonders, how much of it goes to the entrance fees and to supporting the chimps and how much to the pockets of all these young people, the role of whom in this enterprise is all too shady... I wish there had been a way for me to learn more about each one of these young people's lives so that I could cultivate loving kindness and compassion. All I have right now is just accepting the fact that "I don't know" where they come from and where they have been...
These people are supposed to be employees of the sanctuary, however there is no registration for documenting how many people visit the island. The prices fluctuating anywhere from $700 to $88, one wonders, how much of it goes to the entrance fees and to supporting the chimps and how much to the pockets of all these young people, the role of whom in this enterprise is all too shady... I wish there had been a way for me to learn more about each one of these young people's lives so that I could cultivate loving kindness and compassion. All I have right now is just accepting the fact that "I don't know" where they come from and where they have been...
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| After traveling a whole day to see monkeys, these come across to steal our peanuts right in town... |
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