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Mahale
Mountains
National Park.
Famous for containing some of the last
remaining wild chimpanzees in Africa, the Mahale Mountains
National Park was gazette in 1985, covers an area of 1 613 km²
and is located about 128 km south of Kigoma town on the eastern
shore of Lake Tanganyika. The western boundary of the park
protects an adjacent 1.6 km wide strip of Lake Tanganyika’s
waters.
The land in and around Mahale is the traditional homeland of the
Watongwe and Waholoholo tribes. Japanese primate researchers
began exploring along the shore of Lake Tanganyika, south of
Kigoma as early as 1961. In 1965, the researchers established
their first camp, ‘Kansyana’, in Mahale and began habituating
chimpanzees.
The terrain is mostly rugged and hilly, and is dominated by the
Mahale Mountains chain that runs from the northwest to the
southeast across the park. The highest peak (Mount Nkungwe)
rises to 2,462m above sea level.
Exploring Mahale Mountains, Walking
Trails.
The sun rises over the lake and sets behind the mountains,
extending up to 2,462 m at Nkungwe Peak. There are no roads in
the park; all the trails are walking routes. Numerous pathways
and tracks allow visitors to enjoy fabulous forest walks, with
varied wildlife encounters. Hundreds of colored butterflies
(over 30 species) and forest birds dart across the sunlit paths,
and the odd otter may be met near the lake.
Mahale Wildlife
Mahale paths are wandered by warthog and bush pig, and elephant,
buffalo, yellow baboons and monkeys favor the northern regions.
The lower, southern reaches are the terrain of rare roan and
sable antelope, kudu and eland in the shadow of leopard and
lion. The tree canopy is the domain of giant squirrels and
red-legged squirrels, and excitable troops of vervet, red
colobus and white spot nose monkeys, as well as potentially a
new subspecies of Angolan black and white colobus monkey found
on Mt Nkungwe, and chimpanzees
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