Gombe Photo Gallery — Page 6
Chimps on the Beach
Occasionally, the chimps would traverse the beach to reach fruit-bearing trees or forage for other foods, sometimes venturing into empty fishing huts where they’d lick the mineral-rich soot from cooking pits. These huts belonged to fishermen from villages beyond the Park’s boundaries, who would work here during the moonless nights each month harvesting the small “dagaa” sardines from the lake.
The fishermen paddled out at night in their dugouts, lanterns hanging from the bow to lure the tiny silver “dagaa” toward the light. The “dagaa” were caught in nets and then dried on the beach, much to the delight of the baboons. This practice continued until 1998, when Tanzania National Parks banned “dagaa” fishing within Gombe’s boundaries, leaving the park’s shoreline devoid of the once-common fishing huts.
Figan chews on fruit and Goblin sits while Gigi licks soot from inside a fishing hut. 
Patti emerges from a fishing hut.
Faben walks upright on the beach. He adapted well after losing the use of his right arm during the 1966 polio epidemic.
Faben, with hair partially erect, walks bipedal behind a fishing hut.
Sherry stands in front of a fishing net and a dugout canoe.
Faben.
Satan and Patti avoid Figan’s approach.
L-R: Faben, Jomeo, Figan, and Gigi.
Freud rides jockey style on Fifi’s back.
Patti and a mango tree on the Linda beach.
Satan on the Linda beach.
Satan and the mango tree.