Gorillas do not exist in Tanzania, as the country does not host a native population of these great apes. This common misconception often arises because Tanzania is geographically situated near other East African nations that are home to rare mountain gorillas. While Tanzania is famous for its vast savannas, the specific high-altitude forest ecosystems required by gorillas are located just across its western and northern borders in countries like Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Defining the Gorilla Range States
Gorillas are restricted to specific regions across Central and East Africa, with the Eastern Gorilla species found near Tanzania’s neighbors. The primary habitat for the mountain gorilla is the Virunga Massif, a chain of volcanic mountains shared by Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC. This area is far removed from the majority of Tanzania’s major wildlife parks. The distance between these habitats and Tanzania’s borders creates a natural separation. For instance, the Virunga Mountains are separated from the nearest Tanzanian territory by hundreds of miles of diverse terrain. Tanzania’s western edge borders the DRC via Lake Tanganyika, but the gorilla populations in the DRC are located significantly further north and west of the lake’s shores.
The Species Found in Neighboring Countries
The gorillas found in neighboring countries belong to the Eastern Gorilla species (Gorilla beringei), which is divided into two distinct subspecies.
Mountain Gorilla
The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) inhabits the high-altitude montane and bamboo forests of the Virunga Massif and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. They are adapted for the often-cold, misty, and high-elevation environment, typically ranging between 2,200 and 4,300 meters.
Eastern Lowland Gorilla
The second subspecies is the Eastern Lowland Gorilla, also known as Grauer’s Gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri). These gorillas live in the lowland and montane forests of the eastern DRC, particularly in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Their habitat is geographically separated from the Mountain Gorilla populations and is confined entirely outside of Tanzania’s boundaries.
Tanzania’s Native Great Apes
Although gorillas are absent, Tanzania is home to a significant population of great apes: the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). These primates thrive in the country’s remote western forests, particularly within two protected areas along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Gombe Stream National Park is famously the site where primatologist Jane Goodall began her pioneering research in the 1960s. Further south is the Mahale Mountains National Park, which hosts one of the largest and most thoroughly studied chimpanzee populations in Africa. These chimpanzees are the Eastern Chimpanzee subspecies (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), found in habitat stretching from the lakeshore up into the mountainous forest slopes.