In Uganda chimpanzees and gorillas, two of the most spectacular living beings on earth, still survive in their natural state in some forests. Neither species can adapt for long to man-made changes in their environment; they will only survive if they are actively protected in untouched wilderness areas. In 1971–72, with the approval of the Uganda National Research Council, I made surveys in the Budongo and Bwindi forests to estimate chimpanzee numbers, and suggested two such areas, one of which, in the north-east Budongo forest, has since been created a nature reserve.