Gombe National Park, National park on Lake Tanganyika shore, Tanzania
Gombe National Park is a protected area on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in the Kigoma Region of Tanzania. The terrain stretches across forested slopes with deep valleys where streams flow year-round and descend toward the lake.
The government converted a game reserve from 1943 into a national park that received official recognition in 1968. Jane Goodall's research began eight years before this recognition and shaped the later development of the protected area decisively.
Jane Goodall began her work here in 1960, fundamentally changing how people understand great apes. Visitors can watch chimpanzees craft tools and maintain social structures that resemble human behavior.
Visitors reach the protected area only by boat from Kigoma, with the crossing over Lake Tanganyika taking three to four hours. Trails inside lead through steep terrain, so good physical condition is helpful.
The protected area is home to around one hundred wild chimpanzees that have been continuously observed scientifically for decades. This long-term study is considered the longest continuous primate research worldwide.
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