River Gambia

River Gambia National Park covers approximately 585 square kilometers in the Central River Division of The Gambia, protecting a 60-kilometer section of the Gambia River and its surrounding floodplain, wetlands, and woodland approximately 290 kilometers east of Banjul. Established in 1978, the park is The Gambia's largest protected area by area. The park is best known internationally as the site of Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Trust's chimpanzee sanctuary on the Baboon Islands (officially the River Gambia National Park islands)—a pioneering program that has established a self-sustaining chimpanzee population on five islands in the Gambia River. The park protects the river's middle reach and associated wildlife habitat.

The Baboon Islands within the park harbor approximately 100 chimpanzees that are the descendants of animals rescued from the bushmeat trade and pet trade across West Africa starting in 1969—one of the longest-running and most successful primate rehabilitation programs in Africa. The chimpanzees are now largely wild and the islands are strictly closed to public entry. Hippo, saltwater crocodile, and African manatee inhabit the Gambia River within the park. The woodland and gallery forest support warthog, bushbuck, green monkey, and western red colobus. Over 300 bird species have been recorded including African fish eagle, Pel's fishing owl, and papyrus yellow warbler.

The park encompasses gallery forest along the Gambia River bank with large specimens of Khaya senegalensis, Mitragyna inermis, Nauclea latifolia, and Ceiba pentandra. The Baboon Islands support dense forest that has regenerated over decades of protection. Adjacent mainland areas include savanna woodland with Terminalia, Combretum, and Vitellaria species. Freshwater wetlands and seasonal floodplain grassland occur in river margin areas. The riverbank vegetation provides critical habitat for fruit-eating wildlife and nesting birds. Bourgou grass (Echinochloa stagnina) forms floating mats in slower river sections.

The park occupies the central section of the Gambia River valley, underlain by Cenozoic continental sediments of the Gambia Basin. The river valley is broadly flat with the Gambia River meandering through alluvial deposits. The Baboon Islands are low, sandy river islands formed by sediment deposition on the inside of river bends. River banks expose sandy and clay sediments. The surrounding upland areas have laterite soils. The river's gradient here is very gentle and it flows slowly, with extensive flooded areas during the wet season. Tidal influence extends some distance upstream from the Atlantic.

River Gambia National Park experiences The Gambia's bimodal rainfall pattern with a wet season from June to October and a dry season from November to May. Annual rainfall in the Central River Division averages 900–1,000 mm. The wet season brings high river levels and floodplain inundation. The dry season is the preferred visiting period for wildlife observation. Harmattan winds from December to February provide pleasant, drier conditions. March to May are hot and dry with temperatures reaching 38°C. The Gambia River remains navigable year-round in this section.

The Central River Division has been inhabited by Mandinka communities for centuries, with farming and fishing as primary livelihoods. The Gambia River was central to the 17th and 18th century Atlantic slave trade, with enslaved people transported downriver from the interior. Janjanbureh (Georgetown) on MacCarthy Island near the park was a British colonial administrative center. The abolition of the slave trade in the early 19th century transformed the river's economic function toward palm oil and peanut trade. Traditional fishing communities continue to use the river resources adjacent to and within the park.

River Gambia National Park was established in 1978. The Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Trust was founded by Stella Brewer in 1969 and the Baboon Islands were incorporated into the protected area as the primary location for chimpanzee rehabilitation and release. The program has become one of the world's most celebrated wildlife conservation success stories. The chimpanzee population has grown from the original handful of released animals to approximately 100 individuals living in social groups. The islands are strictly closed to maintain the welfare and semi-wild character of the chimpanzee population.

The Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Trust operates boat excursions from Janjanbureh (Georgetown) that allow visitors to observe the Baboon Islands chimpanzees from a safe distance on the river—a genuinely memorable wildlife experience as chimpanzees appear on the river bank and call. Hippo viewing along the river is excellent. Birdwatching from the boat includes African fish eagle, herons, kingfishers, and papyrus specialists. The historic town of Janjanbureh has colonial-era architecture and a slave history interpretation center. The park can be reached by road (approximately 6 hours from Banjul) or by upriver boat excursion.

Janjanbureh (Georgetown) serves as the main gateway. Accommodation is available at Janjanbureh Camp and guesthouses in town. The drive from Banjul takes approximately 6 hours on Trans-Gambia Highway. Chimpanzee boat excursions are booked through the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Trust office in Janjanbureh. The excursions operate in the morning when chimpanzees are most active at the island's edge. Entry to the Baboon Islands themselves is strictly prohibited to protect the chimps. The dry season from November to April is the best visiting period. The upriver boat excursion from Banjul is a classic Gambia tourist experience.

The chimpanzee rehabilitation program demonstrates long-term conservation success, but the broader park faces threats from agricultural encroachment along land boundaries and illegal fishing within the river. The Gambia River's water quality and flow are influenced by upstream conditions in Senegal and Guinea, making transboundary river management a conservation priority. Human-hippo conflict with farming communities along the river bank is persistent. The chimpanzee population on the Baboon Islands is self-sustaining but requires continued protection from disturbance and disease. The park's role as a wildlife sanctuary for the wider Central River Division is significant given the lack of other large protected areas in the region.