The great apes are also known as the hominidae under the primate’s order. There are four different types of great apes which include the bonobos, the chimpanzees, the orangutans and the gorillas however; humans too have been classified as great apes because of the existing relation between the humans and the chimpanzees especially. Chimpanzees are considered to be man’s closest cousin because they share about 99% of human genes and in many ways behave and react to given situation just like the humans.
I is true that most of these great apes can be found in Africa but there are those that you can’t for instance, the bonobos, the chimpanzees and gorillas are in plenty and live in big groups in different forested areas on the African continent and in every group is usually an alpha. The Orangutans however are only found in Asia, specifically in Indonesia and they live a solitary life.
Physical description of the great apes
Physically, great apes are all really huge in size, they are all tailless and that is what differentiates them from other primates like the monkeys. The smallest of them is the bonobo which weighs about 30–40 kilograms and the biggest are the mature male eastern gorillas which weigh between 140–180 kilograms. The similarity among all great apes is the fact that always the males are larger and stronger than their partners the females but also the degree of sexual dimorphism greatly differ among these species.
Feeding habits
Great apes are herbivores but some species are omnivorous. They all however prefer feeding fruits to any other food but when the gorillas can’t find enough food/fruits some time during the year, they will feed on shoots and leaves. The gorillas are very adaptative to chewing different foods as well as digesting that low-quality forage, but they still prefer fruits and they will walk long distance to find the preferred fruits.
In regards to reproduction, chimpanzees unlike gorillas will walk out of their group and find a mate in a different group in other words, just like the humans they don’t commit incest. A mature female ape will have a gestation period of 8–9 months, and often gives birth to one offspring but sometimes, twins are born. Little ones are born helpless and do require their mothers’ care which include breast feeding. Unlike other mammals, these great apes go through a long period of adolescence and become fully mature between eight to thirteen years depending on the species. Maturity takes longer in humans. This rate enables the females to give birth to babies only once every after few years and they do breed any time of the year, they have no season.
During the hard times when there is little food, chimpanzee groups do have to split so that they can become manageable to the alpha. Sometime small groups of female chimpanzees form their own groups and walk alone as they search for food when the alpha can no longer control them. This is different with the gorillas because for them they stick together even during hard times that is why they often resort to feeding on leaves and shoots and this is why the alpha easily monopolizes the females within his group.
The fact is, the gorillas’ character of sexual dimorphism is greater than chimpanzees’. But it also true that both chimpanzees and gorillas, do have 1 alpha in a group per time and females will leave their group upon maturity.
Visiting the apes in Uganda
Uganda is one of the countries with the highest population of apes and this is so because we have the highest number of mountain gorillas in the whole world, and a very high number of chimpanzees. Gorillas and chimpanzee to stay in families of 5 plus members and sometimes the groups are really large that chimpanzees opt to break them up into smaller groups especially when food becomes scarce.
Apes like gorillas in Uganda are found in places like the Bwindi impenetrable forest and the Mgahinga national park which part of the famous virunga mountain ranges. These are specifically mountain gorillas and their total population combined gives Uganda the highest population in the whole world. This makes Uganda the best destination for mountain gorilla tracking as there are so many habituated gorillas which are accessible to both the tourists and the researchers.
Chimpanzees are found in Budongo forest, in Kibale forest and from both these places, you can participate in the chimpanzee habituation exercise. Chimpanzee habituation is a whole day activity where you participate in helping chimpanzees get used to the presence of people and it’s done throughout the year in Kibale but only during the low seasons in Budongo. Other places include the Kyambura gorge located in Queen Elizabeth national park and also at the Ngamba Island which is the only chimpanzee sanctuary we have in Uganda. This sanctuary is a home to the orphaned chimpanzees and those that have been seized from illegal trader and need some sort of rehabilitation before they are transferred back to the wilderness.
With these so many sites to visit if you are interested in an ape tours, be sure that you will have an amazing time and it will definitely be worthwhile.
For more information about the primates in Uganda, visit adventureugandasafari.com
