Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gombe National Park
With an area of only 52 sq km, Gombe is Tanzania's smallest national park, but its con-
nection to Jane Goodall (see the Tanzania's Chimpanzees,
Click here
)
has given it world
renown. Gombe's 100-plus chimps are well habituated and though it can be difficult,
sweaty work traversing steep hills and valleys, if you head out early in the morning sight-
ings are nearly guaranteed. Guides cost US$10 per group (up to five visitors) per trek and
a typical half-day non-chimp tracking trip includes going to see Jane's old chimp feeding
station, the viewpoint on Jane's Peak and Kakombe Waterfall. In addition to walking in the
forest, it's possible to swim in the lake (no hippos, crocodiles or bilharzia) or hike along
the shore.
GOMBE NATIONAL PARK
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Why Go
Up-close encounters with chimpanzees
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When to Go
Year-round; June through October are the easiest (driest) months
for chimpanzee tracking
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Practicalities
The only way here is by boat
TANZANIA'S CHIMPANZEES
Western Tanzania is the easternmost limit of chimpanzee habitat, and their most
famous residence due to the work of Jane Goodall. Hired in 1957 as Louis
Leakey's secretary, Goodall had no formal scientific training, but Leakey was
impressed by her detailed work habits in the field and love of animals and in
1960 chose for her to study wild chimp behaviour at Gombe Stream Chimpan-
zee Reserve, now Gombe National Park.
Her research was so groundbreaking that it redefined the relationship between
humans and other animals. During her first year she was the first person to see
chimps make and use tools (they stripped leaves off a stem and used these to
fish termites out of their mounds) and hunt and eat meat. She also documented
their elaborate social behaviour showing that they sometimes kill (and some-
times eat) each other, engage in long-term warfare, adopt orphans, form family
bonds that last a lifetime and practise occasional monogamy. But she not only
expanded our knowledge about primates, she revolutionised the entire field of
ethology (animal behaviour). She gave the animals she observed names (David
