If you consider yourself a safari enthusiast, you must visit Gombe National Park. While it is more remote than other African national parks, you will find the primary enticement to be well worth the travel – chimpanzees! These captivating creatures were what fascinated the renowned researcher, Jane Goodall, for decades.
Description
Imagine you are trekking through the trails near the Gombe Stream when you hear the shrieking cries of the chimpanzees, ranging from soft and calm at first, into boisterous screeches; it is the “panthoot” call. You are witnessing the chimpanzees distinguish themselves to one another in an attempt to bond as one of the most enthralling experiences in nature.
Through the research of many, including Jane Goodall, the chimpanzee is classified as the closest genetic relation (with 98% match) to our own human race. While observing the chimpanzees in their natural habitat, we are reminded of how closely their social interactions remind us of our species. With the various sounds and actions, one can easily identify the leaders of the pack from the mass of followers. Similarly to humans, chimpanzees will assess others on a first encounter to see where they stand in society. You may even find yourself being evaluated by the chimpanzees!
While the chimpanzees may be the most noticeable, they share the park with other primates, like olive baboons and colobus monkeys. While the baboons are comfortable in their habitat (including under the observation of researchers since the 1960s), the monkeys prefer to stay in the treetops as they are hunted by the chimpanzees.
While Gombe National Park is geographically the smallest in Tanzania, it boasts a rich history. From the sandy river valleys near Lake Tanganyika to the sharp hills that run alongside them, this park makes a perfect environment for the chimpanzees. Through the tedious research by Jane Goodall, the chimpanzees are now acclimated to human visitors. Her studies were revolutionary when commencing in 1960 and continue to be the longest-running behavioral research program of its nature. As an item of special interest, one of original members of the community that Jane Goodall first studied, Fifi, is still seen in the park. As Fifi was only three years old when Jane Goodall begun her studies, she is now the matriarch and her appearance makes for a special treat for visitors.
About Gombe National Park
- Size: 52 square km (20 square miles), Tanzania's smallest park.
Location: West Tanzania, on Lake Tanganyika, 16 km (10 miles) from Kigoma.
When to go
The ideal time to observe the chimpanzees is during the dry season which runs from July to October and again in late December. As the chimpanzees do not venture out as much in the wet season of February to June and November to mid-December, you will have a better experience and able to take more pictures when they are more active.
What to do
In Gombe National Park, you can trek to the chimpanzee habitat or experience natural walks or snorkling and swimming in Tanganyka lake.
In Ujiji near Kigoma you can visit where Henry Stanley met Dr Livingstone and said the famous sentence “Dr. Livingstone I presume”.
Wildlife
Chimpanzee, primates (such as baboons and colobus), birds.
