Monkeying Around: Gombe Stream Chimp Reserve

Gombe Stream is home of the world famous chimp reserve. Monkeys to see here include baboons, blue monkeys, red-taled monkeys, red colobus monkeys and of course, chimpanzees. When you come here, you’ve got to remember to bring all your provisions with you, and the accommodation is somewhat basic.

The focal point of Gombe are the chimps. It’s reconciling their interests with those of tourism that has occupied the founder of the reserve, Jane Goodall, for 25 years. Here, in the 1960’s, Goodall carried out major research conclusively the unique relationship between man and chimpanzee, as we share 95% of our genes with them (some people may share more than others!) and they have similar hearing, smells and other senses to humans.

Visiting the reserve

Tourists who come to chimp watch pay $100 a day just to come in whether they see the chimps or not, so be prepared; you may be disappointed. Some of the chimpanzees in the main study community are actually quite aggressive to strangers, so it can be dangerous. Care has to be taken not to pass on diseases to the chimps, as humans and chimps immunity systems are so similar that we can catch their diseases and they ours.

Threat of man

Habituating the chimps - getting them used to coping with people - involves living in the middle of dense jungle, often alone, and under trying conditions. Despite all this, the biggest threat to the chimps still comes from humans. In places like Saudi Arabia and Dubai, it’s the thing to have a little collection of exotic animals and you simply must have a chimp. Some chimps get smuggled through into eastern Europe, Mexico, Cuba or South America for medical research or for entertainment. The Goodall institute offer rewards to anyone who gives evidence of people who are abusing chimps or keeping them illegally. Because of rapid habitat destruction, the chimpanzee is an endangered species. Only around 100,000 - 200,000 exist in the wild.

Chimp life

Chimpanzees eat plants and meat, they are omnivores, eating forest fruits and ants, termites and small animals, and occasionally other smaller monkeys. They hang around in groups of around 50, and smaller sub gangs of 6 or 7 chimps. They use a complex language of sounds, the calls of the chimps are always in the air of the Gombe reserve, so you can be in the presence of the great monkey even if you don’t have a chance to see a wild chimp up close.

If you fail to spot a wild chimp, don't get too disheartened, the landscape and flora and fauna is fantastic in and around the reserve. From Jane’s Peak you can see a stunning view of the entire park and Kakombe Waterfall.