Africa Programs

John, who goes by “JJ,” first began working in the field of chimpanzee conservation in 2006 while volunteering with the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His experience there gave him the motivation to pursue his lifelong passions for wildlife and conservation. 

As director of chimpanzee research at the Jane Goodall Institute’s (JGI) Gombe Stream Research Center, Dr. Deus Mjungu is responsible for the management and operation of chimpanzee research at Gombe National Park.

Bill Wallauer offers a unique and fascinating view of life among wild chimpanzees. For 15 years, Bill spent just about every day following the wild chimpanzees of Gombe National Park in Tanzania, capturing the intimate details of their daily life. He has commented that, during those years, he spent more time with chimpanzees than with humans.

As vice president of conservation science at the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Dr. Lilian Pintea directs the scientific department at the Institute and conducts applied conservation research. In order to analyze the spatial relationships between chimpanzees, forests and human land uses, Dr. Pintea integrates remote-sensing data with on-the-ground observations and surveys of chimpanzees and their habitats.

As director of the Jane Goodall Institute’s (JGI) East Africa programs, Alice Macharia develops the Institute’s community-centered conservation strategies and programs in Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Based at the Institute’s headquarters just outside of Washington, D.C., Alice makes regular visits to JGI field offices in East Africa, including the Gombe Stream Research Center in Tanzania. Gombe is where Dr. Goodall began her groundbreaking chimpanzee behavioral study more than 50 years ago—research that continues to this day.