Golden Monkey Tracking , Golden Monkey Habituation

The golden monkey is a species of old World monkey found in Mgahinga National park located in south-west Uganda, It is restricted to highland forest especially near bamboo. This species was previously thought to be a subspecies of the blue monkey and the two are similar, but the golden monkey has a golden-orange patch on the upper flanks and back, it is a small curious monkey, golden in colour and loves to scamper around the trees.

Golden monkey tracking takes place in the tropical rain forests of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park with two habituated golden monkey groups. Golden Monkey Habituation is where you go with researches in the morning or afternoon to track the Golden Monkeys and stay with them for 4 hours, Travelers interest book 4 days Gorilla Trekking & Golden Monkey Watching tour. You will have a chance to get close to these little primates and study their behavior in their natural habitat which will make your primate safari in Mgahinga memorable.

The permit for golden monkey habituation is $140 and all treks start in the morning from the park’s headquarters and this entitles you four hour with habituated golden monkeys, including park entry fees and a guide who will be with you and golden monkeys

Behavior

The golden monkey can travel in various group sizes, and have been seen in small groups of three up to large groups of 62 monkeys. The groups that are found at higher elevations tend to be smaller. The golden monkey will often return to one of several different sleeping areas after a day of feeding. The monkeys often sleep in small subgroups of four, at the top of bamboo plants. They will often use a dense bamboo plant, or a combination of several bamboo plants that weave together to make a sufficient foundation for sleep. The golden monkey will often feed near the sleeping area and return to this same sleeping location day after day

Diet

The golden monkey has a diet that consists primarily of young bamboo leaves, fruits, bamboo branch lets, bamboo shoots, invertebrates, flowers, and shrubs. However, the golden monkey is an opportunistic feeder and its diet can easily be influenced by the availability of fruit. During seasons where ripe fruit is available, the golden monkey tends to feed more on fruit. The golden monkey may also feed on various flowers and shrubs when they are available, Bamboo tends to be the most frequently eaten because it is often more available year round