The Golden Monkeys are found in the Mgahinga gorilla national park in the south west of Uganda, bordering Rwanda and Congo, is one a kind, it may not be the most common you know primate, however the little creature is worth knowing.

These are small curious, playful and fast moving monkeys, with unique distinct features of bright, vibrant, golden orange freckle like cheeks, nostrils that point downwards, gold patches on its back and torso cascading on the upper flanks down to the tail which poses a sharp contrast to its black legs and head for a visually stunning effect.

The Mgahinga gorilla national park which hosts the golden monkeys comprises of three extinct volcanoes and extensive swamps with an estimate of about 2500-3500 individuals living in the bamboo forests though researches claim that they are still very much endangered as they face the same difficulties as the Mountain Gorillas thus The Golden monkeys’s habitat now been confined.

The monkeys are a friendly species of animals despite the fact that they are endangered, they usually move in groups of about 30-60 individuals, and sleep in groups of 4 individuals at the top of bamboo trees, out of this group, there is usually only one male. The females tend to guard one territorial region while the males may mate and then travel pack-to-pack.

Guess what? The golden monkeys have a diet too which primarily consists of young bamboo leaves, fruits, bamboo branch-lets, bamboo shoots, flowers, and shrubs. However, the golden monkeys are an opportunistic feeders and their diet can easily be influenced by the availability of fruit.

During seasons where ripe fruit is available, the golden monkeys tend to feed more on fruits. While it is mostly herbivorous munching on bamboo, it can also be guilty of enjoying the occasional insect and invertebrate.

The journey to track the species in the bamboo forests usually starts in the morning and it is the most magnificent and exciting experience ever, since one gets an opportunity to also engage in other activities along the way like bird watching, gorilla trekking, cultural encounter with the indigenous locals.

Once you get in contact with the golden monkeys you will definitely know it, so attractive, monkeys playing everywhere, which provides an experience that is memorable and worth the visit.