Kumari Shreya
For all nature lovers, it is always a treat to watch animals interact with each other in their natural habitat. Narrated by Mahershala Ali, Netflix’s ‘Chimp Empire’ follows this trend by documenting the lives of a species that is closely related to humans and often exhibits behavior similar to ours. Needless to say, the various chimpanzees featured in this documentary have earned the admiration and fascination of people around the world. Fans of the series simply cannot get enough of how these mammals live their lives and have their own set of rules and habits. Another selling point of the show is its scenic location, which allows the chimpanzees and various other organisms to thrive. Hence, it is hardly unexpected that people are eager to learn more about just where the show is filmed.
Chimp Empire: Where Was it Filmed?
The production of ‘Chimp Empire’ takes place in the beautiful country of Uganda, specifically the Kibale National Park. The widespread flora-abundant region is home to many wildlife species that one cannot help but appreciate, but can also be dangerous without proper precautions. The shooting of the show’s first season took over a year and allowed the showrunners to capture several intriguing arcs within the established chimpanzee societies. Let’s take a closer look at the place where all the events took place.
Kibale National Park, Uganda
Netflix’s ‘Chimp Empire’ is set and shot in Uganda’s Kibale National Park. Specifically, the events that viewers get to see in the show take place in the Forest of Ngogo, or simply Ngogo, which is located in the heart of the national park. This particular part of the rainforest is crucial as it remains mostly untouched by the adverse effects of commercial logging. However, that is not to say that humans did not set foot in the area in the past, given the various grinding stones found on the forest floor.
As of writing, Ngogo is a government research site maintained by the Makerere University Biological Field Station (MUBFS). The research area was established by Thomas Struhsaker in 1972 with the help of the New York Zoological Society in order to study forest ecology, red colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and the effects of logging. The Netflix show was produced primarily with the help of The Ngogo Chimpanzee Project, with David Watts from Yale University and John Mitani from the University of Michigan acting as its co-directors since 1995. Kevin Langergraber and Carolyn Rowney are also a part of the project’s Board of Directors.
Located in southwestern Uganda, Kibale National Park is not only the second-largest remaining rainforest in the country but is also home to its largest population of chimpanzees. Given its captivating beauty and raw wildness, the national park attracted a lot of tourists, who can enjoy a memorable safari ride. The area is also home to the Batooro and Bakiga tribes that work alongside the Uganda Wildlife Authority to gather resources from the park.
Read More: Best Wildlife Documentaries on Netflix
