Uganda’s oldest Chimpanzee, “Zakayo” has died at the age of 54 years on 26th April 2018. This dearly loved chimpanzee was found abandoned in Semliki by an unknown individual ( who is said to be a “white man” ) in June 1964 who kept Zakayo under his care until 19th June when he handed him to the care of Uganda wildlife Education center, an organization that was founded for the purpose of wildlife conservation and cares for rescued animals that are often victims of bushmeat trade, habitat destruction and illegal trade.

Zakayo was one of these many animals and has been under the care of Uganda wildlife education center from the age of 4 up until his death on Thursday 26th April 2018. The typical lifespan of a chimpanzee in the wild is 40-50 years and under captivity it’s 50-60 years. Zakayo has lived up to his 54th and we at Simba Africa Expeditions, would like to take time and recognize the life of this great chimpanzee, that has been Uganda’s over all oldest Chimpanzees.

Located on the Uganda – Congo border about 9 hours’ drive from Kampala, is Mountain Rwenzori, Africa’s 3rd highest mountain 5,109m above sea level. It is also commonly referred to as the mountains of the moon as named by the father of geography, Claudius Ptolemy. Some say that this place was named mountains of the moon by Claudius Ptolemy because of the reflection caused by the glow of the beaming star light on the convex glaciers making them look like half-moon.

“MOUNTAIN RWENZORI,” as named by European explorer Henry Stanley, requires a combination of hiking, trekking and mountaineering and although this magnificent mountain commonly is not as high as its cousins, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, it does require a complex combination of technical skills and endurance to get to the very highest peak, Magherita and therefore it is very important that you get adequate time to train for fitness and endurance before taking on the Rwenzori challenge.

Rwenzori offers its visitors a crowd free hiking experience and quite an impressive sense of wilderness that other mountains lack. It is also known for its incredible Flora and Fauna i.e. tropical rainforest through alpine meadows to snow with ranges that stretch over 120 km.

The greatest thing about this snow-capped mountain that lies on the equator is that it does not only provide the hiking activity but also nature walks and birding can be done while in Rwenzori. The best time to trek mount Rwenzori is in the dry months of the year i.e. December- February and June to August. During this season the trails are more manageable hence making it a lot easier to trek Rwenzori than in the rainy season when it’s slippery, making every step forward seem like a one step behind.

Things to bring to trekking Mountain Rwenzori

• Small backpack is necessary to accommodate necessities but not weigh you down when you are trekking.
  Rain jacket is crucial because rain here tends to be unpredictable.
• Dry sack will help you keep your bag and everything in it dry.
• Thermal wear will help you to keep warm at all times as temperatures keep dropping with the high altitudes.
• Jacket, you will need to bring more than one jacket, a waterproof one, fleece jacket and a thin windbreaker.
• Hiking shoes should be waterproof-quick dry and most importantly a very comfortable pair.
• Trekking gear, head lamp, quick dry towel, sleeping bag with liner, waterproof-quick dry trekking pants, a good lenses camera with extra batteries and a waterproof bag to protect camera from the rain
  Water purifier, sunscreen, hat and sunglasses and hand sanitizer.
• Walking stick.
• Snacks are important especially ones high in carbs both salty and sweet snacks are great to have to keep you energized during the hike.
• Medicine, it is quite important that you bring some medication, pain killers , antibiotics, vitamins, cold/flu medication to keep you well prepared in case of any slight drop in body health.