Gombe National Park is a remarkable area in Tanzania, known for its vibrant wildlife, particularly chimpanzees. The park gained recognition in 1943 as a game reserve and became famous after Dr. Jane Goodall began her research there in 1960, which is the longest-running primate study in the world. Gombe was designated a National Park in 1968 and opened for tourism in 1978 after the chimpanzees were habituated to human visitors. It is located 16 km north of Kigoma town on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, covering an area of 56 square kilometers. The park’s famous ‘panthoot’ call showcases the chimpanzees’ social bonding through their unique vocalizations.
There are truly wild places in Tanzania, Gombe National Park is one of them. The nature value of Gombe was noticed in 1943 when it was designated as a game reserve. Gombe gained its popularity after the pioneering research activities of Dr. Jane Goodall in 1960 which is believed to be the longest-running study of primates in the world. Conservation status was upgraded to that of a National Park in 1968 and opened for tourism in 1978 after chimpanzees habituated to human visitors. It is located 16 km north of Kigoma town on the shores of the world’s second deepest Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania with an area of 56 square kilometers.
Gombe Attractions
Gombe Wilderness is worth visiting year-round. The rainy season (November to mid-May) is ideal for spotting chimpanzees amidst lush vegetation and beautiful waterfalls, while the dry season (May to October) offers great opportunities for photography and hiking.
Gombe Wildlife
Gombe has abundant and diverse wildlife animals. Habitat preferences and seasonal food cycles determine in a general sense where a particular animal may be at a particular time (esp chimpanzee). Although Gombe chimpanzees are a favorite among wildlife watchers that come to the Park, there are several notable animals.
Activities in Gombe National Park
The main attraction of Gombe Stream is clearly the families of chimpanzees that live protected within the park’s boundaries. Guided walks that take visitors deep into the forest to observe and sit with the extraordinary primates for an entire morning are available — one that is the highlight of many visitors’ trips to Africa and an incredible experience. Besides chimpanzees, other primates living within Gombe Stream include beachcomber olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, red colobus, and vervet monkeys. Blue monkeys and red-tailed monkeys have also been known to hybridize in the area. There are occasional hippopotami, leopards, and 11 species of snakes. The park is also home to bush pigs and over 200 bird species.
However, Lake Tanganyika is also a wonderful place to go snorkeling and swimming, fishing, sailing, or just relax on the white sand. Hippos and crocodiles tend to keep their distance from Gombe which means visitors can take a dip in the lake without having to worry about sharing the water with wild animals.
While at Gombe, a visit to the Goodall Foundation’s old feeding station should be on the list of things to do and the nearby village of Ujiji is where Henry Stanley met Dr. Livingstone in 1871.