Lincoln Park Zoo

Gombe Field Research

Gombe Field Research

Gombe Field Research

The site of Dr. Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking research, Tanzania’s Gombe National Park has changed our understanding of animals and altered our perception of what it means to be human. Since 1960, Goodall and her peers have observed generations of the area’s chimpanzees. The behaviors they recorded—chimpanzees making and using tools, hunting prey and even waging warfare—exceeded the boundaries of what was previously thought possible, capturing worldwide attention and galvanizing global conservation efforts.

Today, Lincoln Park Zoo is proud to partner with the Jane Goodall Institute on a number of research projects in Gombe National Park. Zoo scientists take advantage of the resources that have been established over nearly half a century to study chimpanzee health, chimpanzee play and the mother-infant relationship in the species. The answers our scientists find through this partnership will be integral to learning more about chimpanzees and, ultimately, ourselves.

Project Information

About Gombe

Staff and Collaborators

Multimedia

Mshangao Sokwe (Chimpanzee Surprises)

A tourist recently asked me the following question: “After more than five months of observing chimpanzees, do they still surprise you?”

(I know this is a cheesy way to begin an entry, but it actually happened, and before he even finished I knew the answer: “Yes, bila shaka” [Without a doubt].)

Posted on 19 October 2009 | 1:44 pm

Mwezi Moja Zaidi (One More Month)

I am now on the final month of my first field season, so all of the “lasts” are beginning to occur. I just went to town for my last round of errands, one of which was to pick up two care packages. Picking up packages is a mini-adventure of multiple visits to customs and post offices, making it just that much more worth it when you finally get the tasty treats inside.

Posted on 30 September 2009 | 10:47 am

Kukuta Chakula (To Find Food)

Right now the end of the dry season is in sight. In Gombe, the dry season lasts from June–November, and the wet season is December–May. While different fruits are continuously coming into season and then fading away, during this part of the dry season it seems like the chimpanzees have to search extra hard to find their daily meals. The plus side is that recently the chimpanzees have been traveling in large groups, so it has been easy for me to find infants to observe. The downside is that their search for food has often involved traveling long distances on a daily basis, something my legs are not always a fan of.

Posted on 17 September 2009 | 11:08 am