The Chimpanzees at Gombe

in Wildlife 101 by Araneta&Tan — July 30, 2009 at 10:38 am | 0 comments

Chimpanzees in Gombe National Park

Chimpanzees are our closest evolutionary relatives, sharing 94% of our DNA. They are incredible creatures whose profound intelligence allows them to recognise numbers and to use tools. But unfortunately these amazing apes are, like so many primates across the world, endangered. In fact, some estimates predict that only 300,000 of them remain in the wild.

One person who knows more about chimpanzees than just about anyone else is Jane Goodall. In 1960 Goodall began a research programme in Gombe Stream National Park in western Tanzania. Her research has since cast light onto many areas of the previously unknown lives of these amazing creatures. For example, it was Goodall who first discovered that chimps used tools just like humans. Since she arrived in Gombe, she has also set up the Jane Goodall Institute to protect chimpanzees across the world.

Jane Goodall

If you are amazed by chimpanzees and would like to see them in the wild, then you can head to Gombe Stream National Park yourself to see them in the wild. Located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, it is a wild place only accessible by boat. But if you want an adventure then you can head here on a chimpanzee safari to try to catch a glimpse of the animals. The best time to visit the park is from May to November, the dry season, as during the rains it can become perilously slippery.

If you go to Gombe, it’s not just chimpanzees that you will become acquainted with. You will also be able to see numerous other apes including blue monkeys, olive baboons and red colobus monkeys. On top of these, you’ll also get to see other animals in the park such as leopards and elephants. So although you’ll be going on a chimpanzee safari, you’ll be seeing far more than that. However, the experience won’t come cheap. The entrance fee to the park is $100 per day, but when you get an experience that you can’t get anywhere else in the world then it has to be worth it.

If you are a keen photographer, make sure to take plenty of film with you or a big memory card for your camera. If you come across the chimps then you won’t be able to stop taking pictures. You might even want to consider turning your chimpanzee safari into a dedicated photo safari and go along with a professional photographer who can help you get the perfect snaps to take home and impress your friends.

Chimpanzees are amazing animals, and seeing them in the wild is an absolute treat. Helping to share the knowledge of these apes will also lead to better protection for them in the wild. But if you can’t go and see them yourself, then why not donate to the Jane Goodall Institute to help the good work that is being done to protect them in the wild so that future generations can enjoy them as well.