News and Media Releases

UniSA psychologist and zoo scientist Dr Carla Litchfield says the 17-day Great Ape Expedition to Uganda last month was a first for the zoo and inspired a series of specialist tours.

She says people are looking for a "once in a lifetime experience" of wildlife and mountain gorillas are right at the "top of the to-do list".

But tourists also played with orphan chimpanzees at the Ngamba Island sanctuary and had a chance meeting with tree-climbing lions.

For Dr Litchfield, the full day of trekking with wild chimpanzees at the end of the tour was the best day of all.

"We got to see all these incredible things," she said.

"The chimps going on a border patrol, we saw them sleeping on the ground not far from us, we saw them feeding in the trees," she said.

"I mean it was really like a whole year's experience in one day."

Suzanne Gale, of Morphett Vale, said the forest walk with the orphan chimpanzees on Ngamba Island was a highlight.

"I expected this to be fun, unique and interesting but I didn't expect it to be quite as moving as it was," she said.

Chief executive Dr Chris West says the idea of taking people out into the wild to meet animals in their natural habitats is a "logical extension" of tours at the zoo.

In August this year, senior curator Peter Clark will lead a safari tour to Kruger National Park with Jetset Hyde Park.

Dr Litchfield has another Great Ape Expedition planned for February 6-22, 2010. Contact the Peregrine Travel Centre on 8223 5905.