Gombe National Park is one of the few places in East Africa to see chimpanzees in their natural ecosystem, and in Tanzania it is one of the 2 biodiversity environments where chimpanzees can be found, it was gazette as a way of protecting several other species of primates, animals like bushbucks, shy water bucks, leopards are present in the ecosystem and over 200 species of birds that live within the park some of which are restricted to the destination, Gombe national park is the formally known as Gombe stream national park it is the smallest of Tanzania’s parks covering an area space of approximately 52 square kilometers, it is strategically placed along the banks of Lake Tanganyika overlooking a great lush green forest and escarpment.
Chimpanzees in Gombe National Park live with their natural setup without being captivated, they are placed in groups of up to 100 Members led by a male Alpha chimpanzee, the primates are the closet relatives to mankind sharing up to 98% of the human DNA the primates are characterized by their social behaviour, intelligence, with the ability to use tools, Gombe Stream National park was made famous by a primatologist known as Jane Goodall due to her continued research on the primates in history this is on the longest research that has been done on primates however it paved way for other upcoming researchers to understand even better the behaviour of chimpanzee.
Chimpanzee tracking in Gombe National Park was first done following research that was conducted by Jane Goodall, it is done beginning at 8:00 am depending on how far the primates have moved it takes 2-3 hours in search of the wildlife species after which you return to meet your guide who will transfer you to accommodation, The walk through the forest may seem tough but rewarding at the end of the day chimpanzees are loud creatures hence one should expect to hear them even at a distance, they are messy eaters and do nest in the tree canopies, en route during the walk it is possible to meet other primates present within the ecosystem form example blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, endangered red colobus monkeys among other species types. Birds in the national park can be seen as well although there will be a few species to encounter and on a lucky day, you might be chanced to see other park animals like the shy antelopes, waterbucks, and leopards.
Chimpanzee tracking in Gombe National Park is done by persons above the age of 15 years, to be allowed to participate in the activity one ought to acquire a chimpanzee trekking permit This can be done through a tour operator or directly through the Tanzania Parks authority, it goes for $100 per person, strict rules as per the chimpanzee tracking for instance guests have to be in their god health without communicable diseases like flu, keeping 32 feet away from the primates.
The best time to do chimpanzee tracking in the national park is during the dry season between the months of December-February and June to early September when the trails are less slippery and accessible through the forest. What to pack for a chimpanzee tracking includes proper hiking waterproof boots, hand gloves, and any other items of a personal nature.