Uganda Safaris News: Mountain Gorilla Trekking Tours, Wildlife Safari, Primates Tour

By Nakiboneka Halimah
Uganda Safari and Travel News Reporter
Kampala Uganda

The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) is going to host well-wishers to a lavish birthday party on Friday which has not been seen in the recent past.

This birthday party is for Zakayo, the oldest chimp at UWEC which will be turning 44.

Zakayo the alpha male is one of our flagship animals at the centre. UWEC has organised to celebrate his birthday with a couple of activities which will include a lot of entertainment and also people will get an opportunity  to see the different animals that are kept at the zoo which will be fun for both the young and old.
Zakayo is said to be a favourite to visitors at the Centre and is a historical member of the centre who deserves a celebrated birthday with the public. Similar occasions organised in the past saw school children line up to witness the birthday celebration, participate in a quiz competition and question-answer session, organised by the zoo authorities on the occasion in a bid to spread the conservation message.

According to UWEC, Zakayo was found in June 1972 at Semuliki in Bundibugyo and was hand-raised. The chimp was later surrendered to the Entebbe Zoo on June 10, 1976. The chimp is said to be very fatherly.

Chimpanzees are also found in different national parks of Uganda. These include Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park and Ngamba Sanctuary where chimpanzee tracking activities are done by tourists who usually visit those national parks.
Other activities are also done in the national parks such as game drives, boat trips and forest walks.

According to UWEC, Zakayo has sired eight off springs and is very protective towards the younger chimps. He is always the last to go out in the mornings and the last to get inside in the evenings.

UWEC appealed to the public to continue supporting the centre. Tourism was declared Uganda’s second largest income earner last year