Gombe National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is the author of the Bradt guidebook to Tanzania.

The main wildlife attraction in Gombe National Park is tracking chimpanzees on foot. The park actually supports two chimp communities, totaling about 100 individuals, and you will be taken to look for the same one that was habituated by Jane Goodall in the 1960s. Once you’ve found the chimps, you can observe them for one hour, whether they’re feeding, resting or walking, before you return to camp.

GorillaNone

ChimpanzeeCommon

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionNone

LeopardRare

CheetahNone

HippoOccasional

BuffaloNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

ElephantNone

GiraffeNone

Wildlife Highlights

Aside from the chimps, other primates are often encountered. A beach-loving troop of olive baboon, also under study since the 1960s, is exceptionally habituated, while red-tailed monkey sticks to the forest canopy. Gombe is one of only five protected areas worldwide inhabited by Ugandan red colobus, which is the most common monkey here but often hunted by chimps. One of the more secretive inhabitants of the forest is the bushpig.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The middle and end of the Dry season (July to October) is the best time for chimpanzee trekking. At this time, the chimps tend to stay close to the lakeshore and are easier to find. The park stays open throughout the year, but in heavy rain the trails might be difficult to walk.