Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Ugandan chimpanzees are killed by poachers for the bush meat trade every year. As a result of this illegal practice, dozens of infant chimpanzees are taken alive from forests, bound for the pet trade throughout Africa and the rest of the world.

As a measure to rescue chimpanzees Uganda Wildlife Authority in conjunction with Uganda Wildlife Centre set up a refuge for these hunted and orphaned chimpanzees. Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary comprises of 100 acres of rainforest, 23 km south west of Entebbe was established in October 1998 to care for these individuals confiscated/rescued within Uganda.

In addition to providing a safe home and ensuring the welfare of our wild cousins, the establishment's other goals  is to care for the environment on Ngamba Island, to provide a high quality educational experience for visitors as well as benefiting the island local communities. At the sanctuary, the chimpanzees are fed a variety of foodstuffs including fruit and vegetables, posho and millet porridge.  They are fed four times a day. At dusk, wild chimpanzees build nests 6-25 meters above the ground (by pulling over branches to make a soft bed).

The chimpanzees cannot be released back into the wild as they are likely to be rejected, injured or killed by other chimpanzees. Ngamba Island offers them a sanctuary that closely resembles the wild.