The golden monkey is one of Africa’s most localized primates. Its range is focused on the Virunga Mountains, a 4,507m-/14,787ft-high chain of mostly dormant volcanoes shared between Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Naturally very shy, golden monkeys were notoriously difficult to see in the wild prior to 2002, when the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund embarked on a habitation program in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Golden monkey trekking is also now offered in two other national parks, and it has become a popular addition to a gorilla trekking safari to Rwanda or Uganda.
Mountain gorillas hog the limelight so far as most visitors to the Virungas are concerned, but the golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti) is also a highly engaging creature. As its name suggests, this bamboo-loving monkey is very beautiful. Its general appearance is similar to that of the better-known blue monkey (C. mitis), and some authorities regard it to be a race of this widespread species. However, where blue monkeys have a muted uniform blue-gray coat, the golden monkey is distinguished by a stunning fiery gold-orange blaze on its back.
The golden monkey is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List as Endangered. Once quite widespread in the highland forests of the Albertine Rift Valley, it now only occurs in the Virunga Mountains and isolated Gishwati-Mukura National Park. Within this limited range (which it shares with the mountain gorilla), it is far and away the most common primate. A survey undertaken in 2003 indicated that 3,000 to 4,000 golden monkeys live in Uganda alone, but more recent information suggests this is probably a gross overestimate.
Established in 1925 to protect the Rwandan slopes of the Virunga Mountains, Volcanoes National Park is arguably the world’s premier gorilla trekking destination. But while most visitors rush straight off after a gorilla visit, the more sensible choose to stay on to track golden monkeys. There are two habituated troops. The larger, and more frequently visited, is the Sabyinyo Group, which consists of 80 to 100 monkeys.
Volcanoes NP is the best place to track if you want to be sure of seeing golden monkeys without necessarily putting in too much effort. It is the first place where golden monkeys were habituated, so the troops visited by trekkers are now very relaxed, used to people and easy to photograph. It is also the one place where golden monkeys frequently raid the surrounding fields to feast on potatoes and other crops. Local farmers tolerate this because they know they will be compensated if losses are significant. And it means that the guides can often locate the monkeys without even heading into the park. This makes for great primate viewing, but it is less atmospheric than an encounter in the depths of the forest.
Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is more often visited for its golden monkeys than its gorillas. This is because it hosts only one habituated gorilla group, as opposed to more than 25 in nearby Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, but it is the only place in Uganda inhabited by golden monkeys. Tracking in Mgahinga tends to be harder work than it is in Volcanoes NP, as the hike to the habituated troop’s territory entails a 60- to 90-minute ascent through secondary forest. The payoff is that you get to see the golden monkeys play, squabble and chomp on fresh bamboo shoots in their natural forested habitat.
Two types of golden monkey viewing are on offer in Mgahinga. As is the case in Rwanda, a standard visit gives you one hour in the company of the little fellows. Much more interesting, and unique to Mgahinga, is the in-depth habituation experience. Sign up to this, and you’ll spend four hours in the presence of the monkeys and researchers who study them. Not only does this give you a wonderful opportunity to learn about golden monkey behavior, it also offers a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into primatology.
Rwanda’s newest national park, Gishwati-Mukura was gazetted in 2015 to provide protection to two isolated forest patches with a combined area of 35km²/14mi². It is probably unique among East Africa’s national parks in that it was created as a result of a local community initiative to protect the remaining forest and extend it through the creation of reforested buffer zones.
Gishwati-Mukura is the only remaining golden monkey stronghold outside of the Virunga Mountains, with an isolated population estimated at 170 individuals. It opened to tourism in 2020, but guided forest walks are available only to overnight guests at the community-owned Forest of Hope Guest House and campsite. Golden monkey trekking is not formally offered here, but a group is in the process of being habituated, and it is often seen on forest walks, along with chimps, L’Hoest’s monkeys and a variety of localized forest birds.