ARUSHA: TANZANIA National Parks (TANAPA) has intensified conservation measures to protect chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, with new efforts focused on safeguarding their habitat, strengthening law enforcement and increasing community involvement.
The move comes as conservation authorities work to secure the future of one of Africa’s most recognised chimpanzee populations, which currently stands at about 77 individuals compared with an estimated 150 recorded in the 1960s.
Despite the decline over the decades, conservationists say continued monitoring and protection measures are helping stabilise the population, with recent records showing encouraging signs of recovery.
TANAPA Veterinary Specialist Dr Jane Mwandupe told this journalist that Gombe remains one of the world’s most important chimpanzee research sites, benefiting from more than 60 years of continuous scientific observation and conservation work.
“Gombe remains one of the world’s most important chimpanzee research sites,” Dr Mwandupe said.
She said the park continues to contribute to global understanding of chimpanzee behaviour, ecology, and social organisation through research partnerships, including collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute and other conservation organisations.
Located along the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika, Gombe National Park covers 33.6 square kilometres and is home to chimpanzees mainly from the Kasekela and Mitumba communities.
The park gained international recognition after renowned primatologist Jane Goodall discovered that chimpanzees use tools, a finding that changed scientific understanding of animal behaviour.
According to TANAPA, more than 20 chimpanzee births were recorded in Gombe between 2020 and 2024, with births reported every year during the period.
Dr Mwandupe said the births provide hope for population recovery, noting that chimpanzees reproduce slowly and every surviving infant plays an important role in maintaining the population.
“Chimpanzees reproduce slowly, often with intervals of up to five years between births. As a result, every surviving infant represents an important contribution to the future recovery of the population,” she said.
To improve long-term survival prospects, TANAPA has prioritised protection of the Gombe-Kagunga corridor, a network of connected village forests that links chimpanzee habitats and supports movement between populations.
TANAPA Conservation Commissioner Musa Nasoro Kuji said protecting the corridor was a key part of government conservation efforts.
“The government authorities have repeatedly stressed the importance of strengthening legal protection for the corridor and eventually incorporating it into the wider protected-area network,” Mr Kuji said.
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Conservation interventions in and around Gombe include daily chimpanzee monitoring, corridor surveys, habitat protection, disease surveillance, climate monitoring, fire prevention programmes, visitor health controls and conservation education.
Communities surrounding the park have also been involved through alternative livelihood projects aimed at reducing pressure on forest resources. Beekeeping initiatives involving hundreds of beehives have been among the programmes supporting community participation in conservation.
Authorities have also increased efforts against illegal activities affecting chimpanzee habitats. In 2025, an operation in the corridor area resulted in the demolition of 97 illegal structures, removal of 12 livestock enclosures and the arrest of 12 suspects.
According to officials, the action was aimed at restoring the ecological integrity of an area considered vital to the long-term survival of Gombe’s chimpanzees.
TANAPA said continued protection of wildlife corridors, habitat conservation, and community partnerships will remain central to ensuring the survival of the chimpanzee population for future generations.