Home » Tanzania » Day 10. Mon 30th September Gombe Streams NP

Today we visit the Gombe Streams National Park, the longest running primate research project in the world, started by Jane Goodall in 1960 and now taken over by Charlotte Uhlenbroek. The park can only be accessed from the lake - to keep out poachers and other undesirables there is no access from the land - and a boat has been booked to pick us up at 06:00 an take us down the lake to the park. This will be one of the highlights of the trip, and we are up at 05:00 to grab a quick breakfast before the boat arrives. Unfortunately the hotel staff conform to typical African standards of time keeping, and at 5:45 no breakfast is yet in evidence. Finally a pot of tea and some bread and jam appear, and we quickly slap some sandwiches together, grab the box of cold drinks prepared by Ken and, with the German guy in tow, head down to the shore and pile into the boat that has, to our relief, arrived in good time. It is a two hour trip to Gombe Stream, and an early arrival is recommended, as the chimps visit feeding stations around dawn and it is a good opportunity to find them.
Ken is obviously very disappointed not be able to come with us as planned. He waves us off and, as we chug away, we are unaware of Mama Kassim, the plump hotel proprietrix, running down the beach with our packed lunch, which was completed just a little later than breakfast.

Day 10. Mon 30th September Gombe Streams NP

DaveMidgley
2005-10-22 12:22:48

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by a guide, which makes sense, as they are experts at finding the chimps, and can even mimic their call. Like all wildlife guides they are also armed with rifles. We are split into two groups and I set off with Nathan, Amanda, Chris and two guides. To my relief the day is slightly overcast, and the rainforest canopy also provides some shade, so the heat is not too intense. Nevertheless it is a stiff climb, and the guides set a spanking pace.

As part of the research project several food stations have been set up. These are hides where researchers occasionally place bananas. As a result the chimps associate these places with free food and often visit them first thing in the morning. However, despite out efforts we are too late and there are no chimps at the feeding station, so we set off into the forest. We walk for about two and a half hours with no sightings, although we can hear the hoots of the chimps in the distance. The guides confer and change direction often. The going is tough, and we are all hot, sweaty and tired. At one point I hear a cry behind me and turn to see Amanda sliding down the slope headfirst. I manage to grab her arm and she is returned to the upright position shaken but not hurt. Then, all of a sudden, we round a corner and there is a chimp, later identified as Goblin (all the chimps have names), sitting in a tree without a care in the world, not 10 yards from us.
He climbs down from his tree and we follow him up the path

Soon afterwards he is joined by other members of his group, including Frodo, the old male mentioned in Jane Goodalls books, several youngsters and some females, one with a baby clinging to her back. There are strict rules regarding viewing the chimps, we must maintain a certain distance, and are not supposed to observe any one group for more than an hour. The chimps seem sublimely indifferent to our presence, and set off along the path, with us panting in the rear. It turns out that the other half of our ...