GOMBE NP, TANZANIA
Anup and Fiona headed
to Gombe National Park
in June 2011 to capture
the life stories of these
chimpanzees, one of the
most studied groups of
great apes on the planet.
They wanted their three-
year photo project to go
beyond the science and
highlight the everyday
dramas full of passion,
joy, violence, politics, love,
jealousy and ambitionTHE LOCATIONRIGHT Tabora, from the ‘T’ dynasty, is an
energetic individual but she can get absorbed
in fishing for termites. Tabora and her mother
Tanga are two of the chimpanzees being
observed as part of a long-term project on
mother–child relationshipsFAR RIGHT The second-heaviest male ever
recorded at Gombe, 36-year-old Frodo, was once
an alpha male. Ten years after Anup first met him,
Frodo looked older but gave the impression of
being a wise senior citizen of Kasekela. However,
two things were unchanged: he did not groom
anyone, and his appetite was undiminishedPHOTOS BY
ANUP SHAH AND
FIONA ROGERSThis husband and wife team
of wildlife photographers
have contrasting styles.
Their work concentrates on
various primate projects in
the wilds of Africa and Asia,
and has appeared in many
nature publicationsTANZANIADEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF
THE CONGOKENYAMOZAMBIQUEGombe NPWith fruit in season, members
of the ‘G’ dynasty gorged
themselves before looking for
termites. Gimli, at 12 years
old the eldest male in this
group, couldn’t be bothered
to devote the patience and
concentration required to
fish for these insects. Instead
he found a comfortable spot
covered in dry leaves where
he could enjoy his fruit in a
rather decadent stylecience’s understanding of who we are underwent
a radical shift in the early 1960s. Until then we
assumed that we were the only species that could
make and use tools. That all changed when, as a young
primatologist, Jane Goodall made a startling discovery. While
walking through rainforest in Tanzania’s Gombe National
Park, she trained her binoculars on a male chimpanzee as he
selected a twig, stripped its leaves, bent it into shape and used
it to fish termites from their nest. “Now we must redefine
man, redefine tools or accept chimpanzees as humans,” said
her boss, Louis Leakey, when she shared the news with him.
With over five decades of field data now available, the
community of chimpanzees in Gombe continues to advance
our understanding of these great apes. Studies have shown
how they share affection, the strength of mother and child
bonds, their politics and their potential for near-genocidal
violence. And through books and television, their dynasties –
each indicated by a particular letter – have become world-
famous. In 1972 an obituary even appeared in The Times for
the matriarch of the ‘F’ dynasty, Flo.
Photographer Anup Shah first visited Gombe in 2001,
then returned 10 years later with his wife Fiona to capture
the life of this historic community, working among the
teams of field assistants and researchers employed by the
Jane Goodall Institute.
“The most striking impression we took away with us was
how naturally and admirably mothers care for their young,”
says Fiona. “There is lots of love and care, but mothers usually
let their kids mix socially and explore their surroundings. The
young learn by experience, as their mothers let them be. We
were surprised by how emotional chimpanzees can be, too.
We saw examples of love, joy, grief, surprise and disgust. We
left Gombe convinced that they lead very rich lives – and
not only emotionally, but also socially and intellectually.”S
CHIMPANZEES