Wildlife group

Primates of Tanzania

From the chimpanzees of Mahale — the largest protected wild population anywhere — to the colobus troops streaming through the Mount Meru canopy and the vast baboon societies of Lake Manyara, Tanzania is one of the great primate-watching countries.

10: species profiles
11: parks & reserves
1: wildlife type

Browse the guide

Every primates in the guide

10 species

Wildlife type Park or reserve

Photograph coming soon Our guides are working on it Primates Featured

Eastern Chimpanzee

Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii Sokwe mtu

A highly intelligent great ape of western Tanzania’s Lake Tanganyika forests, encountered on guided forest treks rather than a vehicle safari.

Mammal · Hominidae Mahale Mountains National Park Gombe Stream National Park Rubon… Trekking is available year-round, but encounter time varies wit…

Read field guide

Photograph coming soon Our guides are working on it Primates

Olive Baboon

Papio anubis Nyani

The big, confident baboon of northern Tanzania — Lake Manyara holds some of the largest troops recorded anywhere in Africa.

Mammal · Cercopithecidae Lake Manyara National Park Serengeti National Park Ngorongoro C… Very common and highly visible throughout the day.

Read field guide

Photograph coming soon Our guides are working on it Primates

Yellow Baboon

Papio cynocephalus Nyani manjano

The slighter, paler baboon of southern and western Tanzania, replacing the olive baboon south of the northern circuit.

Mammal · Cercopithecidae Mahale Mountains National Park Nyerere National Park and Selous… Very common in the southern and western parks; seen all day.

Read field guide

Photograph coming soon Our guides are working on it Primates

Vervet Monkey

Chlorocebus pygerythrus Tumbili

The grey, black-faced monkey of every Tanzanian camp — and the species that proved animals can have words for things.

Mammal · Cercopithecidae Lake Manyara and Tarangire national parks Serengeti National Pa… Very common and seen throughout the day.

Read field guide

Photograph coming soon Our guides are working on it Primates

Black-and-white Colobus

Colobus guereza Mbega mweupe

A leaf-eating canopy monkey with a flowing white mantle and plumed tail — the flagship species of Arusha National Park.

Mammal · Cercopithecidae Arusha National Park — Mount Meru forest and Ngurdoto Crater Ng… Locally common in montane forest; noisy and easy to locate once…

Read field guide

Photograph coming soon Our guides are working on it Primates

Angola Colobus

Colobus angolensis

A black colobus with long white epaulettes on the shoulders, found in the forests of Mahale and Tanzania’s coastal belt.

Mammal · Cercopithecidae Mahale Mountains National Park Gombe and the western Lake Tanga… Localised to forest; locally common where the canopy is intact.

Read field guide

Photograph coming soon Our guides are working on it Primates

Red Colobus

Piliocolobus tephrosceles Mbega mwekundu

A rufous-crowned canopy monkey of the western forests — endangered, and the chimpanzee’s principal prey at Mahale.

Mammal · Cercopithecidae Mahale Mountains National Park Gombe National Park Western Tanz… Localised; regularly seen on forest walks at Mahale.

Read field guide

Photograph coming soon Our guides are working on it Primates

Blue Monkey

Cercopithecus mitis Kima

A dark, quiet forest guenon with a pale brow band — common in Manyara’s groundwater forest and on Mount Meru.

Mammal · Cercopithecidae Lake Manyara National Park Arusha National Park Mahale Mountain… Common in forest but quiet and easily missed.

Read field guide

Photograph coming soon Our guides are working on it Primates

Red-tailed Monkey

Cercopithecus ascanius

A small western-forest guenon with a startling white heart-shaped nose spot and a long chestnut tail.

Mammal · Cercopithecidae Mahale Mountains National Park Gombe National Park Western Tanz… Locally common in western forests; often in mixed-species troop…

Read field guide

Photograph coming soon Our guides are working on it Primates

Greater Galago

Otolemur crassicaudatus Komba

The thick-tailed bushbaby — a cat-sized nocturnal primate whose wailing call is the sound of a Tanzanian night.

Mammal · Galagidae Mahale Mountains National Park Lake Manyara and Tarangire natio… Fairly common but strictly nocturnal; heard far more often than…

Read field guide

From guidebook to game drive

Ready to meet Tanzania's wildlife?

Our local safari planners will help you choose the right parks, season and route for the sightings that matter most to you.

Browse safari packages Talk to our team