Following his instincts, the guide directed us to take another path and, as we progressed, a sudden, loud call erupted from the forest, freezing us in fear. It was an outburst of peculiar sounds piercing through the dense jungle and sending chills down our spines. We hadn’t expected the sound of the animal to be so loud and terrifying. Had it not been for the reassurance of our guide—who was well-versed in the behaviour and habits of the chimps—we might have fled in panic.
The guide instructed us to stay close together and not to scatter. He also warned us not to look directly into the eyes of a chimpanzee, especially the alpha male. If they charged, we were told to remain calm and avoid running. He explained that chimps may appear calm but can be wild and unpredictable.
We headed in the direction of the noise, and suddenly the guide came to a halt, gazing at the bushy trees ahead. We followed his line of sight and saw a large male chimpanzee come into view. He was clearly the alpha male in the group of eight chimpanzees. One by one, the others appeared and sat down, observing us with calm, curious eyes. They were busy chewing fresh leaves, swinging through the canopy, or playfully interacting with one another.
We heard them making complex sounds to communicate—perhaps commenting that we weren’t as beautiful as they were! We occasionally continued speaking, maintaining a calm and non-threatening demeanour.
The ranger told us that chimpanzees are highly intelligent animals, capable of solving problems using tools. They use stones to crack nuts and we even saw one using a stick to extract termites from a nearby mound. The chimps expressed emotions, laughed while playing, and showed affection by patting each other on the back or holding hands. It was an extraordinary moment—a deep, unspoken connection that made the two-day trek to find them more than worthwhile. At times, they even seemed to want to touch us.
We felt a sense of awe as we drew closer. Although our guide had instructed us to maintain a distance of 10 metres, the chimps approached to within just 2–3 metres. We watched as the babies clung to their mothers. I was amazed to see that they had thumbs like humans, which helped them grip and pluck leaves from the stems with their long arms.
They had thick-set bodies, short legs, and no tails. Apart from their faces, ears, fingers, and toes, their bodies were covered in long black hair. The guide explained that chimpanzees spend much of their time both in the trees and on the ground. They are omnivorous, meaning they eat almost anything—seeds, leaves, fruits, bark, insects, termites and even small animals.
After an hour, we decided to leave these magnificent creatures in peace.
We then visited the Jane Goodall Institute, where the longest-running study of chimpanzee social and family interactions is ongoing. We took a few photos before boarding a boat back to Kigoma as the sun slipped below the horizon.
🔴 Raphael Mbunda. Birding is his hobby. mbundarb11@gmail.com
