Gombe Stream National Park is the smallest of conservation areas in Tanzania, it was made famous by the renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, who did her research about chimpanzees and has become the pioneer in understanding the world’s closet relatives to mankind, Chimpanzees are the highlight of the protected national park living in approximately 52 square kilometers, the park was first gazette in 1968 as way of protecting the critically endangered species that call this home, it amazingly overlooks escarpments, straddling along the showers of Lake Tanganyika. Gombe is one of the few places in the world to see chimpanzees and in Tanzania it is the second after Mahale National Park.
Wildlife in Gombe Stream National Park is mostly primates living within the national park, Examples of species include Chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, pottos, red colobus monkeys, olive baboons, vervet monkeys among others, animals besides chimpanzees in the national park present are forest pigs, shy waterbucks, bushbucks, leopards, occasionally hippos, although these are rarely seen. The National Park is a haven to about 200 bird species expect to see species for example the African fish eagles, palm nut vultures, crowned eagles, African green broadbill, plover birds, sunbirds, barbets, and several other forest birds to mention a few.
Wildlife in Gombe Stream National Park live in the forested area featuring combined indigenous tree species along which in the tree canopies lives the chimpanzee, most of the vegetation area is comprised of a ray of vegetation regions, grassy lands, woodlands to a tropical rain forest, this provides home to wildlife of the national park and hence tourism activities as well.
Chimpanzee tracking is the most famous thing to do in Gombe National Park, it begins early in the morning with a briefing from the park rangers, they will tell you how to conduct yourself while with the primates, after which you will be led into the forest for 2-3 hours in search of the primates, they have been scientifically proven to share up to 98% of the human DNA, during the trekking you will have the opportunity to view other primate species like the red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, among others.
Birding in Gombe National park, park is a unique ecosystem with several bird species that have been recorded in the park, rare endemics of the African region and the great Albertine rift valley are present for example the African green broadbill, Livingstone’s turaco, double-faced barbet, palm nut vultures, kingfishers to mention a few, birds are best seen during the dry season and on guided nature walks, these give you the chance to explore the national park on foot through the different trails of the forest region.
Gombe Stream National Park can be visited all year round but is best during the dry season between December-February and June- September, when the trails of the forest are much drier and easier to access, it is also a busy tourism time hence expect more visitors to the national park.