Author: Parker Daffron | Major: Biology | Semester:  Summer 2025

Entrance to Gombe Park Flooded by Rising Waters

In the Summer of 2025, I studied abroad in Tanzania, where we travelled across Dar Es Salaam, Arusha, The Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Gombe National Park, and a final stop on the island of Zanzibar. My desire to travel to Tanzania predates my time here at Uark, and truly began with my little red Viewmaster toy I had when I was 8 years old. I was gifted it in 2013, and it came with this viewing slide of the Serengeti; this study abroad trip was my opportunity to make what was once a child’s vision into a modern reality.  Gombe National Park, which was an experience like no other. Gombe was the site of the bulk of Jane Goodall’s primate research, and I had the chance to meet several of the chimpanzees she directly worked with. I learned from a leading primatologist that chimpanzees are
capable of “fishing” for termites, where they will lick the end of a grass blade and stick it inside of a termite mound, collecting the angered termites to each off of the makeshift fishing pole.
With the recent passing of Jane Goodall, many questions remain as to the future of primatology and more specifically, of the chimps in Gombe. A resident team of researchers tracks their location and behavior, but their home is being threatened. Below is the archway found at the entrance of Gombe,
which used to serve as the Gateway Arch of the park, but has since been engulfed by the rising water
levels of Lake Tanganyika. Climate change has not only affected biodiversity above the waters however,
as the coral reefs off of Zanzibar face mass-bleaching due to lower pH levels.
With the advent of rising air temperatures, the Indian Ocean has absorbed a significant amount of
heat, and with that heat comes the production of carboxylic acid. The corals off of the eastern coast of
mainland Tanzania and the western coast of Zanzibar have expelled much of their zooxanthellae in a
process known as coral bleaching. We were able to witness this dying-off firsthand, and although grim,
there is still hope for the blossoming ecosystem. Darwin once described coral reefs as paradoxical, due to
their low nutrient content yet high biodiversity, and oftentimes they’re called an oasis in an otherwise
barren sea. Seeing parrotfish, clownfish, sea anemones, sea urchins, octopi, and more underwater was an
experience I will carry with me forever. In that moment, those organisms became more than simply
images from a textbook; those species were brought to life before my very eyes.
Of course, a visit to Tanzania would not be complete without much time in the Serengeti. We
stayed multiple nights in tents in the middle of the region, where we would leave early in the morning to
witness massive migrations of Wildebeest and other native species. Elephants roamed close enough to
touch, and cheetahs leaped onto the cruiser ahead; it was as though our vehicle was invisible to them.
Leopards slept in trees and Rhinos browsed the seemingly endless Savanna, which taught me of both their
power and of the grave dangers they face due to poaching and rising global temperatures.
In all, the most fascinating part of the trip was how the local people lived amongst these animals
as we do common robins, and how gracious they were to our presence. I have never felt such a welcoming
warmth from complete strangers in all my life, and though we lead different ways of life, I felt a
connection with many people I met there. Much of Tanzania is riddled with poor economic conditions, yet
its people are some of the most gracious on Earth and walk the streets with great smiles and bright eyes.
Learning the hunter-gatherer ways of the Hadza and the daily life of Kigoma citizens provided a stark
contrast amongst different groups of the country. I was not sure what to expect entering the country, but I
leave it with a great respect and admiration for the Tanzanian way of life, whichever way that might be.
To conclude, the biodiversity of Tanzania was unlike any other I had seen even in documentaries,
and the vast scale of its biomes usurps any depiction outside of really being there. Its people were kind
and welcoming, even outside of popular tourist areas, and I felt as though I made many friends in our
travels across the country. Asante Tanzania.