My Golden Cousins

“If you go to a desert, you will hear this mysterious voice: Be wise, protect your forests!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

The Golden monkeys are special as they are found in a restricted range of area; within the Virunga mountains spread across DR Congo (Eastern part), Uganda and Rwanda. Within these mountain ranges and the rainforests found therein, the golden monkeys are choosey of their habitat of bamboo forests, making their footprint narrower. Selected pockets of original bamboo forests remain their last refuge and the pressure of human presence and encroachment is ever increasing.

As per a ranger guide from the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, about (only,) 3000 golden monkeys live in the wild, where wild means four national parks i.e., the Virunga National Park in DR Congo (closed as on date, due to ongoing conflicts in Eastern DRC), the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Bwindi and the Mgahinga National Parks in Uganda.

A stroke of good luck brought me closer to the Volcanoes National Park and I could see the golden monkeys in their natural habitat.

The Volcanoes National Park (VNP) Headquarters are located in a small town called Kinigi, near Musenza (former Ruhengeri). The place is very well organised and appointed with extremely efficient staff and rangers. Facilities including the coffee is outstanding.

They offer three main activities: the Gorilla trek, Golden Monkey trek and a trek to mount Bisoke (mount Bisoke has a crater lake at the top). Golden monkeys trip costs USD 100/- per person (and a RT-PCR Covid test to be taken before hand). For golden monkeys, it was easy to get the permit directly at the VNP HQ, however, for gorillas, one should book beforehand as the number of permits is limited which sell off pretty quickly.

For a better orientation, see the map of the region with insets providing a glimpse of the important points

Golden monkey trek commences through a village about 4 km from the VNP HQ and then enters into a bamboo forest. Since, I visited during the rainy season, the forest floor was wet and full of mud slush. Protecting one’s shoes is a futile exercise and a waste of time. Many lodges in the area offer an after trek clean up of shoes (a service included in your stay). Weather wise, it gets pretty cold and chilly even during the day, especially when it rains. For the trek, a rain jacket is a must along with adequate rain covers for your camera gear / phones / passports etc, because one could end up walking for an hour in the rain without any shelter. Remember, we are in the ‘rain-forest’.

Golden monkeys live in large troops, primarily managed by females, who remain in a general area of their choosing, owing to the availability of food. Males on the other hand roam about in a wider range and join the troop twice a year during mating season. The gestation period for a baby to be born is five months. These golden cousins of ours live upto 20 to 25 years.

These unique primates are creatures of habit, where they normally adhere to the same area and spots in the bamboo clumps for sleeping. This makes the golden monkeys territorial animals, especially the females. Hence, easy to find and in a more comfortable trek compared to trek for gorillas.

An interesting fact, which highlights the significance of Golden Monkeys – you can also find them on the reverse side of Rwanda 1000 Francs bill.

Small, characteristic and beautiful, the golden monkeys are surely, one of the most adorable primates that I have come across. Each individual seem to be comfortable in its skin and yet they also adhere to group dynamics. On one occasion, I heard a big call from the lead female and the entire group of about 40-50 monkeys, just left the open field and melted into the bamboo forest – maybe the leader had sensed some danger and warned the entire group to move back to the forest cover.

Will I go again to see these lesser cousins (compared to the Gorillas) – yes, of-course, any day. A dwindling habitat and ever increasing human pressures have already debilitated the population of these wonderful primates. I hope that we do a better job of conserving these old world creatures in keeping them safe and thriving in the wild.

“When you realise the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate on the preservation of the future.” – Diane Fossey.