Mahale Mountains National Park

The Mahale Mountains National Park, gazetted as a park in 1985, lies on the shores of Lake Tanganyika (the second deepest lake in the world) in western Tanzania. It covers an area of approximately 1,600 sqkm within which there are no roads at all – just tracks – and the only way to access the park is by boat. The terrain is mostly rugged and mountainous (the highest peak rises to 2,462m above sea level) and is dominated by the Mahale Mountains, the homeland of the Watongwe and Waholoholo tribes.

Japanese primate researchers began exploring along the shore of Lake Tanganyika as early as 1961. In 1965, they established their first camp in Mahale and began habituating chimpanzees. It is one of only two protected areas for chimpanzees in the country.

A total of 82 species of mammals have now been recorded in Mahale Mountains National Park (mammals include greater kudu, southern or mountain reedbuck, Harvey’s duiker, marsh mongoose and Smith’s red rock hare for instance). 355 bird species also been recorded here.