Chimpanzee Dreaming | Contemplation

A Primal Face-to-Face Encounter

I can still vividly remember my first encounter with these human-like creatures. Standing alone, face-to-face with an alpha male chimpanzee just meters away, was both exciting and unnerving. I was acutely aware of the strength and power of these primates. His piercing eyes chilled me to the bone. But I am getting ahead of myself.

The Assignment: Gorillas, Chimps, and Conservation

Let me introduce myself. I am Peter Delaney, a wildlife photographer. A few years ago, I spent a week in Uganda on an assignment to photograph mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. The brief was about the impact of conservation tourism on local communities and wildlife. It was a fantastic opportunity to photograph mountain gorillas, whose numbers are less than 1,000 worldwide, and chimpanzees, whose numbers are under increasing threat from habitat loss due to logging and oil drilling.

It was the latter—the chimpanzees—that would leave a lasting impression, and one encounter in particular that would lead to an award-winning photograph.

Kibale National Park: A Rich, Untamed Ecosystem

The chimpanzees I was photographing are found deep in the rainforests of Kibale National Park in southern Uganda. The park is 766 square kilometres in size and sits 1,600 meters above sea level. Kibale has one of the richest ecosystems in Africa, supporting 60 species of mammal, including 13 species of primates. It is one of the last strongholds for chimpanzees.

Kibale is home not just to primates and monkeys, but to one of the largest populations of forest elephants, which live alongside buffalo, giant forest hogs, leopards, and 375 different bird species, including the African crowned eagle.

Gearing Up for the Rainforest

For this assignment, my choice of gear was essential for a successful outcome—and not just camera gear, but apparel too. Conditions, as expected, were wet underfoot and humid, with occasional rain showers. Wearing light, durable, breathable apparel is a must. Good waterproof boots will stop you from slipping and sliding. Remember to tuck your trousers into your socks, as the last thing you want is ants in your pants. Lightweight garden gloves are needed when hiking through the thick undergrowth, as many of the tree branches have thorns.

A lightweight camera system that is weather-sealed is also a must. When it isn't raining, the humidity is high, and continuous drops of water fall from the giant hardwood leaves. Be careful not to overpack, as hours of trekking will eventually take their toll. Tiredness sets in and makes it increasingly difficult to keep hiking.

The Trek: A Growing Sense of Doom

Photographing in a rainforest with dim light levels and splashes of highlights from the overhead sun means challenging camera exposure settings. Shutter speeds will be low; no tripods, monopods, or flash are allowed. Having a good camera strap to hold your camera and lens while walking is crucial, as you need both hands free to navigate the dense forest.

There are no hiking paths or trails through these ancient forests. Trekking was slow as we walked around giant Teak trees or climbed over fallen hardwoods that now fed fungi and were home to snakes, frogs, ants, and every other creepy-crawly your imagination can conjure. I was beginning to get a foreboding sense of doom. Finding chimpanzees, even with an expert ranger, does not guarantee a sighting of these great apes.

We had hiked through the dense forest for hours and only occasionally caught a fleeting glimpse of chimpanzees high in the canopy. Then, in a flash, they were gone. I had not raised my camera to my eye once. I was getting increasingly anxious as the minutes ticked by. I had a plane to catch later that day. I had only an hour or so left before I needed to depart.

The Hunt: A Blur of Screams and Silence

Then, without warning, a chimpanzee catapulted to the ground with an almighty thud. All around me felt like a battalion of paratroopers descending from the heavens to attack. Thud after thud. Then a shout from the ranger: “They are hunting!” The cacophony of deafening screams as chimpanzees ran on the ground and flew through the trees was overwhelming. We followed as fast as we could, but it was all over within a few minutes, and then an eerie silence descended. To this day, those few minutes are just a blur of shapes and terrifying screams. I will never know if some unfortunate monkey suffered a cruel fate.

A Gamble, and The Feeling of Being Watched

I decided to take a gamble and ask the ranger for permission to move away from the group to look for chimpanzees on my own. He permitted me, but I had to stay within shouting distance. My heart was beating erratically; the long hike and the stress of not finding the chimpanzees were taking their toll. I decided to stop and rest on a fallen log, taking out my water canister to rehydrate. Then a feeling overcame me: I was not alone.

Totti: Desire and Disappointment in a Glance

I could feel piercing eyes watching me as I rested on the massive mahogany tree. I tried to keep calm and suppress the primordial fear that was causing goosebumps on my skin. I suddenly realised how vulnerable I was, separated from my small group and the armed ranger.

Then I saw him—a mass of black, hairy muscle with bright, intense hazel eyes. He was sitting on the forest floor. He opened his mouth and showed off his impressive incisors, used for tearing the flesh of prey or inflicting serious damage on a rival. It was then that I realised I was not the focus of his attention. He stared beyond me. High in the canopy was a female chimpanzee.

Totti, as I found out later was his name, was the alpha male. He was fueled by desire and lust for this female. He tried everything to coax her down to him, but she spurned his shouts, postures, and overtures. His desire for her was easy to see, and so too was his disappointment. Then he did something so unexpected it made my photographer’s heart jump.

The Shot: Capturing "Contemplation" for Eternity

Totti, the spurned would-be lover, lay on his back, threw his arms beyond his head, clasped his hands, and looked forlornly towards his inamorata.

My photographic senses were in overload. I kept calm. Years of experience kicked in as my eyes moved around the frame, checking composition and exposure settings. My hands moved fluidly over the camera's dials and knobs. I exhaled slowly and squeezed the shutter—a moment captured for eternity.

I call this black and white fine art print “Contemplation.” It was the Winner of Animal Portraits, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017—one of the oldest and most prestigious photography competitions in the world, considered the benchmark in wildlife photography.