Uganda is one of the most primate-rich countries on Earth. With 13 confirmed primate species inhabiting its forests, wetlands, and savanna woodlands, Uganda offers wildlife encounters that no single African country can rival. From the mountain gorilla of Bwindi to the patas monkey of the northern grasslands, each species occupies a distinct ecological niche, displays unique behaviours, and offers a different quality of encounter. Here is the complete guide to every primate in Uganda.
The Great Apes
Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)
The mountain gorilla is Uganda’s most celebrated primate. Approximately 460 individuals live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest — half the world’s total population. Gorilla trekking, permitted at $800 per person for international tourists in 2027, offers one hour with a habituated family in the forest. Mountain gorillas are the largest living primates, with silverback males reaching 200 kilograms. They are critically endangered but their numbers are growing.
Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii)
Uganda’s chimpanzee population — estimated at around 5,000 individuals — is the largest in East Africa. Kibale National Park holds the world’s highest density of chimpanzees, with approximately 1,500 individuals in and around the park. Habituated groups at Kibale allow trekking encounters. Chimpanzees also inhabit Bwindi, Budongo Forest, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth NP, and Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve. They are our closest living relatives, sharing 98.7 percent of our DNA.
Old World Monkeys
Olive Baboon (Papio anubis)
The olive baboon is Uganda’s most widespread and commonly encountered primate. Large troops inhabit savanna, woodland, and forest edge environments throughout the country, including around Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Lake Mburo national parks. Baboons are highly intelligent, omnivorous, and organised in complex social hierarchies dominated by adult males. They are frequently seen on roadsides and around lodges — entertaining but potentially problematic when habituated to human food.
Red-Tailed Monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius)
The red-tailed monkey is one of Uganda’s most common forest primates, identified by its distinctive white nose spot and red tail. It inhabits lowland and mid-altitude forests across the country, including Kibale, Bwindi, Budongo, and Mabira. Red-tailed monkeys are active and vocal, moving in groups through the mid-canopy. They eat fruit, leaves, insects, and small vertebrates.
Black-and-White Colobus (Colobus guereza)
One of Uganda’s most visually striking primates, the black-and-white colobus has a dramatic cloak of long white fur framing its black body and a flowing white tail. Unlike most monkeys, colobus have no thumbs — an adaptation for swinging through the canopy. They are folivores, specialising in leaves, and their multi-chambered stomachs allow them to digest plant matter that other primates cannot. They inhabit forests throughout Uganda and are frequently seen in Kibale, Bwindi, and Mabira.
Red Colobus (Piliocolobus tephrosceles)
Uganda’s red colobus — specifically the Ugandan red colobus — is an endangered species restricted primarily to Kibale National Park, which holds the world’s largest population. The species has a rufous-brown back, pale underparts, and a characteristic long tail. Red colobus live in large multi-male, multi-female groups and are frequently targeted by chimpanzees in coordinated hunts — witnessing a chimpanzee hunt for red colobus in Kibale is one of Uganda’s most dramatic wildlife experiences.
L’Hoest’s Monkey (Allochrocebus lhoesti)
The L’Hoest’s monkey is a montane forest specialist found in Uganda’s Albertine Rift forests — Bwindi, Kibale, and Mgahinga. It is darker in colour than most Uganda guenons, with a characteristic white bib, and tends to be more terrestrial than its relatives. Groups are small and led by a single adult male. L’Hoest’s monkeys are endemic to the Albertine Rift and Uganda represents an important part of their restricted range.
Blue Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis)
Despite the name, the blue monkey has limited blue colouring — the name refers more to its dark, slaty-grey appearance compared to more brightly coloured relatives. Blue monkeys inhabit forest throughout Uganda and are frequently seen in Kibale, Budongo, and around Entebbe. They form groups of up to 40 individuals led by a single male and feed primarily on fruit, flowers, and invertebrates.
Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)
The vervet is Uganda’s most familiar savanna monkey, ubiquitous in woodland edge, riparian forest, and around human settlements. Groups range from 10 to 70 individuals. Vervets have sophisticated alarm call systems — different calls for aerial and terrestrial predators — that have been extensively studied by primatologists. They are intelligent, bold, and often a nuisance around lodges where they have learned to steal food.
De Brazza’s Monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus)
The De Brazza’s monkey is one of Uganda’s least-seen primates — a secretive species of swampy, riverine forest in the western Albertine Rift. It has a striking appearance: white beard, orange brow patch, and cryptic body colouration. De Brazza’s monkeys are slow-moving and rely on camouflage and freezing behaviour when threatened, making them genuinely difficult to spot even when present. They are found in Semliki National Park and some forests along the DRC border.
Patas Monkey (Erythrocebus patas)
The patas monkey is Uganda’s fastest primate — capable of running at up to 55 kilometres per hour on the ground, making it the fastest non-human primate on Earth. It inhabits open grassland and savanna woodland in northern Uganda, particularly around Kidepo Valley National Park. Patas monkeys have a distinctive reddish coat and long limbs adapted for a terrestrial lifestyle. Groups are led by a single adult male who acts as a lookout while females feed.
Lesser Apes and Prosimians
Angola Colobus (Colobus angolensis)
Closely related to the guereza, the Angola colobus is found in Uganda’s forests along the western border and in some montane areas. It is distinguished by longer shoulder fur and different facial markings. Its range overlaps with the black-and-white colobus in some areas, and the two species occasionally form mixed-species groups.
Senegal Bushbaby (Galago senegalensis)
The smallest of Uganda’s primates, the Senegal bushbaby (or lesser galago) is a nocturnal prosimian found in woodland and forest edge habitats throughout Uganda. It weighs around 200 grams and is identified by enormous eyes adapted for night vision and large, mobile ears that can rotate independently to locate insects. Bushbabies are heard more often than seen — their cry, which resembles a human baby, gives them their common name. Night walks in woodland areas frequently produce bushbaby sightings.
Uganda’s 13 primate species are a testament to the country’s extraordinary biodiversity. No other country offers such a concentration of primate encounters in so compact a space — from the mountain gorillas of Bwindi to the bushbabies of the Entebbe peninsula, Uganda is, quite simply, the best primate destination on Earth.
