The Chimpanzees of Mahale National ParkDecember 5, 2024 Dear Subscriber First Name, I’m writing this edition of Shauku Afrika Explorer from Tabora, Tanzania. Over the past 14 days, I’ve covered 3,300 km (2,000 miles) of road, including over 1,000 km (620 miles) on pretty rough dirt roads. My Land Rover is showing the first signs of the long journey, so I’m currently grounded. After publishing this newsletter, I’ll need to give the vehicle some attention, as there are still about 850 km (530miles) left to Dar es Salaam. Here’s one of the highlights from my trip: The Mahale mountains, covered with dense tropical rainforest, dramatically rise up to 1,800 meters (5,906 feet) above the shores of Lake Tanganyika. They mark the westernmost point of Tanzania. About 700 chimpanzees live in the park, some of which are habituated to human visitors, meaning they can be tracked and observed closely. The park can only be accessed by boat. Among the group we visited, there was a lot of action. Many large male chimpanzees are constantly vying to improve their ranking within the group. According to the chimp tracking rules, visitors should not get closer than 5 meters (16 feet). However, when the chimps get excited, they don’t always stick to the rules themselves. Several times, they passed me very closely—one time even bumping into me. The habituated chimps largely ignore their visitors and go about their lives. There’s no history of them being dangerous to visitors. Still, every tracking is accompanied by armed national park rangers for safety.
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