Gombe Chimp Trek
An excited "whoop, whoop!" erupts from deep in the forest, boosted immediately by a dozen other voices, rising in volume and tempo and pitch to a frenzied shrieking crescendo. It is the famous "pant-hoot!" call: a bonding ritual that allows the participants to identify each other through their individual vocal stylization. To the human listener, walking through the ancient forests of Gombe Stream, this spine-chilling outburst is also an indicator of imminent visual contact with man’s closest genetic relative: the chimpanzee.
This is the smallest of Tanzania’s national parks, but it is well known due to the pioneering research of Dr. Jane Goodall, and her study of the Gombe chimpanzees which was published in her book “In the Shadow of Man”.
Situated on the north-eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, north of Kigoma. Gombe Stream was established in 1945 mainly for the protection of the chimpanzee population that exists there, and is the main focus of attention of the park.
