The Thinking Apes of Fongoli: An Expedition to Senegal

Home Africa Senegal Experiences The Thinking Apes of Fongoli

Working together with the Fongoli Savanna Chimpanzee Project, Pelorus has secured access previously only granted to select film crews, allowing for a handful of visitors to travel to a far-flung corner of West Africa on this frontline conservation expedition. Set out on this intrepid journey and directly contribute towards the protection of a rare troop of chimpanzees that make tools, shelter in caves and soak in pools to survive the heat – demonstrating the first clear signs of evolution ever recorded amongst their species.

When to go: Dec - May

From Price: £20,100 PP*; (excl international flights)

Ideal Length: 14 Nights

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Experience Highlights

Encounter a fascinating and rapidly evolving family of endangered chimpanzees, led by the dedicated researchers who have studied them at close quarters for generations.
Gain unmatched access to the field of primatology’s leading experts, from Dr Jill Pruetz's specialist Fongoli team, the Jane Goodall Institute’s researchers and Senegal’s own Dr Papa Ibnou Ndiaye.
Meet with communities from the Bédik plateaus to Bassari country, witnessing their cultural traditions, ceremonies and initiation rites that have earned UNESCO World Heritage status.
Travel by private aviation and 4x4, accompanied by a dedicated expedition team, as you traverse a diversity of rugged terrain, exploring a range of untouched landscapes across Senegal.

FROM CAPITAL CITY TO CHIMPANZEE COUNTRY

Your expedition begins in Dakar, Senegal’s enigmatic capital and the most western city on the African mainland. To this day a major trading hub with a rich culture and complex history, it is most famously known for once being home to the finish line of the gruelling Dakar Rally. Pass along the Corniche to your coastal hotel, complete with a private beachfront and its own marina, ten minutes from the historic centre. Set out by speedboat as you travel to Gorée Island, where you will be privately guided through the House of Slaves and its infamous “Door of No Return”, then the Historical Museum in the old fort and the colonial lanes, before lunch at a seafront restaurant. Back on the mainland the day turns contemporary at the Museum of Black Civilisations and the African Renaissance Monument, and closes at the Village des Arts, a former military camp turned artists' colony, with the studios open and a live sabar or kora set playing.

Boarding your private charter flight, fly south-east to Kédougou, an hour and forty minutes in the air against fourteen punishing hours by road. Your 4x4s are waiting on the apron for the short transfer to your hotel where you will receive your trekking briefing: protocols, distance rules, health screening and more. For the next three mornings, you will gain privileged access to the Fongoli Savanna Chimpanzee Project’s domain, otherwise closed to the public, though documented on screens in the BBC’s Dynasties wildlife film series. Led by Professor of Anthropology and Honorary Professor of International Studies at Texas State University, Dr Jill Pruetz, these dedicated scientists have been actively studying these wild chimpanzees since 2001, and their research is fundamental to the protection of the population.

THE SPEARS AND SAVANNAS OF THE SOUTH

Venturing south to the only place on earth where chimpanzees can be watched in open savanna rather than dense forest, your expedition truly begins. Departing before first light, led by the field researchers and their local trackers, you will gain firsthand experience of operating in this challenging environment where nothing is guaranteed. These are wild animals in open country, so some mornings may bring two hours at close range with phenomenal photographic opportunities, whilst others may only bring tracks, calls and a distant glimpse. Witness the fascinating behaviour that made these chimpanzees famous, from hunting with spears, sheltering in caves and soaking in pools to survive extreme heat.

After mornings spent in pursuit of the chimps, the afternoons present opportunities for less strenuous activities. Climb to Iwol, a Bédik village on a plateau beneath a thousand-year-old baobab, where the view at golden hour is among the finest in Senegal. Another day, drive south to the Dindéfélo Community Nature Reserve on the Guinean border, co-managed with the Jane Goodall Institute, to meet their field researchers and learn about their community-led model of protection. Nearby to their headquarters, the hundred-metre Dindéfélo Waterfall is also well worth a visit. On your final afternoon, head to Ethiolo village at the heart of Bassari country, meeting with local tribe members and perhaps witnessing a ritual ceremony.

SAFARI ON THE GAMBIA: RIVER, FOREST AND FLOODPLAIN

Following your time spent chimpanzee trekking, travel onward by 4x4 convoy, north-west through the Bassari foothills and down into the Niokolo-Koba National Park. With close to a million hectares of gallery forest, floodplain, bamboo and rocky hill, and the Gambia River straight through the middle, this nature reserve is UNESCO-listed and almost untouched by mass tourism. Your camp sits on a forty-metre cliff above the water: simple canvas tents, no fences, no neighbours, and only the sounds of nature to fall asleep to. This afternoon, set out on your first game drive at dusk, looking out for a whole host of unique species and birdlife – Guinea baboon, green monkey, patas monkey, warthog, bushbuck, roan antelope, hippo and crocodile.

This area is also home to a population of Temminck's red colobus monkey, extensively researched by one of Senegal’s foremost experts on primatology, Dr Papa Ibnou Ndiaye. For those fascinated by these findings, meet with a member of his research team or with the professor himself, and go in search of these endangered apes as they forage and socialise in the tree canopy. Your last full day on safari unfolds on the water and in the photographic hides, aboard an electric boat that glides close to hippo and waterbirds without disturbing them, and from permanent platforms that offer the finest birding vantage points in the park. Then fly privately back to Dakar’s coast for your final night, bringing this extraordinary expedition to a close.

Why we love it

"Following a wild chimpanzee troop on foot gives you a remarkable insight into their world. Spending prolonged periods in their presence, you begin to recognise individual personalities, relationships, alliances and rivalries within the group.

What struck me most was their intelligence and ingenuity, particularly their sophisticated use of tools. Watching these behaviours unfold in the wild felt strangely familiar, offering a glimpse of traits and problem-solving abilities that remind us of our own evolutionary past.

It is physically demanding, but the reward is exceptional. To spend time at such close quarters with a wild chimpanzee community leaves you with a profound appreciation for just how intelligent, expressive and captivating these animals are."

Matt Couldwell, Travel Executive