CHIMPANZEES OF THE KIBALE FOREST

The Alpha
Kibale, Uganda. June 2021.

An alpha male looks around from his perch atop a log on the forest floor.

These Hands
Kibale, Uganda. June 2021.

A male chimpanzee holds one hand in another while resting on the forest floor. Their hands are strikingly similar to our own.

A Chimpanzee Nest
Kibale, Uganda. June 2021.

Much like orangutans, chimpanzees construct sleeping nests high in the trees each night. They use branches and leaves to create a safe place to sleep, either constructing a new one every night or at the very least adding new foliage to an existing nest to make it safe.

Up Close
Kibale, Uganda. June 2021.

Unafraid, this alpha male looks over the other beings in his presence while perched on top of a fallen tree on the forest floor.

Standing Alone in the Forest
Kibale, Uganda. June 2021.

A young female chimpanzee stands alone in the forest, having just come down from the tree canopy. Chimpanzees live in large communities, this one, in particular, has over 150 individuals, but then branch into subgroups of around 20 individuals to cohabitate.

Mother and Baby Looking Down
Kibale, Uganda. June 2021.

A mother with her young baby looks down from a tree branch high above the Kibale Forest in western Uganda.

Almost Hidden in the Bush
Kibale, Uganda. June 2021.

The Kibale Forest is a protected national park in Uganda. It provides a plethora of fruiting and climbing trees for the chimps to survive.

Good Morning
Kibale, Uganda. June 2021.

This male had just woken up from a nap on the first floor when I was able to capture this image of him first opening his eyes, using a telephoto lens of course. While fully wild, several of the chimpanzee groups in Kibale have gone through a habitualization process to allow them to get used to a human presence around them without running away.

Looking Up
Kibale, Uganda. June 2021.

After engaging with the alpha chimpanzee in grooming, this male broke off to settle alone in the forest in hopes of finding a female for mating.

Sitting Satisfied
Kibale, Uganda. June 2021.

This male chimpanzee failed to attract females, so he decided to pleasure himself while taking a rest in the forest alone.