Gombe Stream Research Center at 65: How 65 Years of Chimpanzee Research Changed Science, Conservation, and Our Understanding of Ourselves
Every World Chimpanzee Day on July 14, we celebrate not only our closest living relatives in the animal kingdom—but also one of the most important places in the history of science and conservation: JGI’s Gombe Stream Research Center in Tanzania. This year marks 65 years of continuous research at Gombe Stream Research Center—the world’s longest-running wild chimpanzee study, driving groundbreaking discoveries in primatology, chimpanzee behavior, and wildlife conservation.
It all began in 1960 when a 26-year-old Jane Goodall arrived in what is now Gombe, Tanzania. What began with a young woman and a notebook has evolved into one of the world’s longest-running, technology-driven wildlife studies—reshaping how we understand chimpanzees and other primates, the natural world, and what it means to be human.
Now, 65 years later, Gombe’s story continues to unfold—a journey of curiosity, persistence, and innovation. With over 165,000 hours of behavioral data collected by more than 200 researchers and field assistants, Gombe has helped uncover insights on everything from chimpanzee community health monitoring to ecosystem biodiversity. To mark this milestone anniversary, we’re looking back at three defining scientific eras, each building on the last and revealing the complexity of our closest living relatives: the wild, intelligent, and deeply social chimpanzees.
Chapters of the article:
- Groundbreaking Beginnings (1960s – 1980s): the origins of Gombe Stream Research and early discoveries
- Expanding Horizons (1990s – 2000s): Advances in genetics, disease research, and primatology
- Observations into Conservation (2010s – present): Insights into chimpanzee behavior, conflict, and conservation strategies
- Looking Ahead: the future of Gombe and ways you can support our work
- Select Publications from Gombe: Key scientific papers from Gombe research
