The Fig and the Fart

No this is not a local neighbourhood pub – it has been my morning experience with the chimpanzees.  An early start to the day, on the road by 6:30 am.  It was a beautiful sunrise as we drove to the gorge to trek for chimpanzees.  We had a bit of time to wait for the guide and then a young Israeli couple also arrived.  They have been travelling through East Africa for four months and are loving Uganda.

The guide came and low and behold so did the chimpanzees.  They decided that the fig tree that is located at the entrance to the trail and the information area was a good place to be.  Talk about horseshoes – no trekking required.

We spent two hours hanging out with them under the fig tree, taking photos and dodging bathroom breaks.  The three of us then found a place in shade, laid on our backs and just watched them interact.  Pretty amazing.  They would eat for a while, then relax, eat some more and then finally they groomed each other before heading back down to the gorge.

They literally arrived a few minutes after 8:00 when the first trek is scheduled, hung around for two hours and then left.  It would have been a hot, slippery trek so we thank them!

The fig and the fart – what happens when chimpanzees eat an abundance of figs.