Primate safaris

Gorillas are the largest extant genus of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa.

Safari trips are often specifically designed to focus on encounters with gorillas, in the tropical forests of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo.

the most powerful ape

Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, the only other species in the sub-family Hominidae, sharing over 98% of our DNA. Our two species are thought to have diverged as recently as four to six million years ago.

Safari trips are often specifically designed to focus on encounters with gorillas, in the tropical forests of Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Congo.

the most entertaining
primate

Orangutans are icon great apes, which are native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. They separated from the other hominid species (humans, gorillas and chimpanzees) around twenty million years ago and are therefore a lot less like us.

Safari trips are often specifically designed to focus on encounters with orangutans, most commonly in Borneo, occasionally in Sumatra.

We do not presently offer travel to this region.

our more distant cousins

Six species of baboons comprise a whole genera of Old World monkeys, all of which live in various parts of Africa.

Baboons are almost universally considered as vermin by local people. They are able to survive and prosper on the fringes of human populations, where they often demonstrate aggressive behaviour and audacious thievery. They are even said to have stolen human infants to eat.

However, out in wilderness areas, baboons are fascinating and very sociable animals. We have always marvelled at the fact people go out of their way to visit gorillas and chimpanzees, yet completely ignore baboons.

When out on a savanna safari, you are most likely to encounter one of these four baboon species.

Olive baboons are found in a more northerly stripe below the Sahara and are most commonly seen in the reserves of Uganda and Kenya.

Yellow baboons are found in a central stripe across Angola, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, so are most commonly encountered in reserves such as Selous, Ruaha, Katavi and South Luangwa.

Chacma baboons are found in a southerly strip across Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, being most commonly encountered in locations such as Okavango Delta, Etosha and Kruger.

Geladas are closely related to baboons, being the only representatives of an adjacent genus. These extraordinary looking monkeys are found in the highlands of Ethiopia and are specifically included in trips, largely due to the publicity that they have received in various high profile wildlife documentaries.

the troublemakers of the monkey world

The hundred or so species of lemurs are all endemic to the island of Madagascar.

Indris, the largest species, inhabit the high mountains to the east of the capital city and can be reliably encountered in Andasibe National Park.

Perhaps the most iconic of them all are the ring-tailed lemurs, which live far off in the dry deserts to the southwest of the island.

When building safari trips to Madagascar, we rarely focus on specific lemur species, but instead head to the most interesting areas, safe in the knowledge that guests should encounter at least a dozen different types. It’s always fun to spot a new one.

so very many lemur species

Whilst you are out on safari in Africa, you are likely to encounter a wide range of other primates. Here are some of our favourites.

Vervet monkeys are very much the ‘standard primate’ that is found across most of the key savanna safari areas of Africa, they are the ones you will meet most frequently. They are very sociable and funny, as well as being adept thieves around camp.

Black-and-white colobus monkeys are relatively rare and extremely attractive. They can be found in the cloud forests around Mount Meru, Mount Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Highlands in Tanzania.

Red colobus monkeys can only be found in a single forest on each of Zanzibar and Pemba islands in Tanzania.

Bush-babies are very sweet little primates that are often seen on night safari in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. They can also be spotted leaping between trees around sundown and their crying can keep you awake into the night in a host of locations.

Mandrills are fabulous ‘coloured baboons’, but their range is limited to a few locations in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, so a special expedition is required to meet them.

so many relations to meet

The most commonly encountered primate across India and much of Asia is the rhesus macaque, a medium-sized grey monkey, which is very at home in suburban and even fully urban settings.

You will particularly encounter these macaques at holy sites around India, particularly at the famous Monkey Temple in Jaipur.

At the same spot, you will also meet the more leggy langur monkeys. This one is the northern grey langur, but there are several subspecies throughout India, the Himalayas and Sri Lanka.

At night, you may encounter a slender loris, which is essentially the Indian version of a bushbaby, tiny in size and with great big eyes.

meet the urban monkeys