Jane Goodall: Primatologist and Conservationist

Jane Goodall: Primatologist and Conservationist — page 3
Gombe Stream the Gombe preserve but Goodall had not seen more than a few dozen Although she was frustrated Goodall knew the chimps had good reason to keep their distance Gombe Stream became a national park in 1968 Located approximately 10 miles 16 km north of the town of Kigoma Tanzania the park encompasses only 20 square miles 52 sq km making it the smallest of Tanzania's national parks Dense jungle covers much of the area and the terrain is rugged and hilly The park sits along the northern end of Lake Tanganyika Approximately 410 miles 660 km long and from 10 to 45 miles 16 to 72 km wide this lake is essentially a long narrow inland sea holding some of the purest and clearest water in Africa It is also the second deepest lake in the world with a depth of 4,710 feet 1 436 m Relations between chimps and local villagers had never been particularly peaceful Hunters illegally caught chimps for food or the pet trade or killed them as pests for raiding crops gardens and sometimes homes Over the next few months Goodall learned that getting close enough to observe the daily habits of the secretive and wary creatures was more than frustrating and bewildering It was often downright dangerous Gombe's treacherous terrain was full of cliffs and jagged rocks hidden by lush foliage The thick grasslands and jungles provided ample cover for baboons leopards and some of the world's most venomous snakes Insects were a particular problem especially Africa's notorious tsetse flies and disease carrying mosquitos Two military surplus tents provided only little protection Within three months of