Golden monkey trekking is one of the most amazing activities one can do while in primate country. Golden monkeys have a body structure that is bigger than that of normal monkeys. There have golden brown hairs on the lower body. They live in communities under the leadership of an alpha male. They are some of the world’s endangered primates living in a few forest areas including Mgahinga National Park. Although the golden monkeys are habituated to human presence, their cheeky nature doesn’t completely fade away so expect to be on your toes when you locate them. They are very entertaining primates who seem to know most of the forest corners.
| Golden monkeys live in bamboo forested areas and they can only be found in Virunga Volcanoes which Mgahinga Gorilla National Park lies. Golden monkeys are endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley, and they share their home with the equally endangered mountain gorillas. |
Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park involves travelers hiking the forest in search of the golden monkeys in their natural habitat. The activity starts at 8 am with an orientation of what is to be expected, and travelers then head out in search of the golden monkeys using the Gahinga trail. The forest comes to life with the noise and monkey activity that the golden monkeys exhibit, they jump from one bamboo tree to another as they play and eat. Travelers are allowed only one hour with the monkeys once encountered and after which, they track back to the starting point. The activity altogether isn’t strenuous and it can take about 3 hours as the monkeys live in lower areas. Children below the age of 12 cannot do golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
