Ghosts of Gombe: A True Story of Love and Death in an African Wilderness

by Dale Peterson

On July 12, 1969, Ruth Davis, a young American volunteer at Dr. Jane Goodall’s famous chimpanzee research camp in the Gombe Stream National Park of Tanzania, East Africa, walked out of camp to follow a chimpanzee into the forest. Six days later, her body was found floating in a pool at the base of a high waterfall. With careful detail,  The Ghosts of Gombe  reveals for the first time the full story of day-to-day life in Goodall’s wilderness camp—the people and the animals, the stresses and excitements, the social conflicts and cultural alignments, and the astonishing friendships that developed between three of the researchers and some of the chimpanzees—during the months preceding that tragic event. Was Ruth’s death an accident? Did she jump? Was she pushed? In an extended act of literary forensics, Goodall biographer Dale Peterson examines how Ruth’s death might have happened and explores some of the painful sequelae that haunted two of the survivors for the rest of their lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Africa, Science

234 pages, Hardcover

Published April 6, 2018

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start but really picked up. Very thoroughly researched and enlightening.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not usually an avid reader of nonfiction. Sometimes I find the genre to be sterile, textbook-like, devoid of personality. This book, though, changed my mind.
From its very first page, which describes the East African Rift as "a painful wound in the planetary skin," The Ghosts of Gombe is a stunning tale of a decades-old mystery: what happened to Ruth Davis, a young researcher who, whilst out following a group of chimpanzees, met her untimely end at the base of a cliff? Peterson dives into the backgrounds and futures of a cast of real-life characters surrounding Jane Goodall and her famous work in Tanzania in the late 1960s. As I read, I was stunned that I had never heard of these incredibly vivid, interesting figures with personalities spanning from boisterous, athletic Carole to intimidating, serious Geza, all of whom came from different positions in life but contributed greatly to the scientific strides made at Gombe. Peterson's style brings not only these previously nameless researchers to life, but also revives the tales of the apes they came to so closely cherish. These were some of my favorite passages in the book: the descriptions of days spent observing and interacting with and growing to love animals barely separated from us were beautiful and heartwarming, at some points almost pushing me to tears.
Still, though, the intrigue of Ruth's fate kept me reading. Peterson smartly provides ample context for readers who may be unfamiliar with the historical situation and its characters - in fact, most of the book consists of this context - and returns to the question of Ruth's death in its last two sections. I will not spoil Peterson's conclusion, but it perfectly acknowledges and balances out the biases implicit in information from sources and the many theories that are influenced by them, including Peterson's own. Though this mention of personal opinion somewhat took me out of the story itself, it is necessary and, I believe, is the only way to truly end the whole tale. It gives the reader a sense that this story actually happened, that "solving" the mystery is not so neat as might be imagined and would have consequences in the very world we live in. It reminds us that the people within it lived, and that some still do today. It allows us to come up for air whilst reminding us that that same air was in the story we were breathing. Within the real is fiction, and vice-versa. You just have to know where - and how - to look.
I recommend this book for anyone looking for a little sense of adventure in their summer TBR pile! It is a quick read at only about 200 pages and will definitely expand your mind - I know it did mine.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenges: Library Love Feb 2022 - Travel/Country other than US - Tanzania (Africa); Non-fiction November 2021 (belated) - Treatment (chimpanzees studied in the wild for protection and conservation). The story of Ruth Davis and how she died and the ghosts that haunt many to this day. A remarkable book that demonstrates the dangers and joys of being a wildlife researcher and observer. The inner workings of camp life, relationships formed (both human and animal), and how individuals adapt to one another while living in isolation both as a group and as individuals. These researchers who continued Jane Goodall's work with East African chimpanzees were on the ground floor in animal behavior studies that pioneered subjective observations. Their dedicated efforts lead to good research questions for quantification later coming in the midst of a clash of research methods that have blended well in more contemporary times. Foremost are the chimpanzees who Ruth and Carole came to love. A book I will be thinking about for a long while as I was doing related work in the late 1960s at a time when we all were witness to our first step on the moon.

[Cherop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written and interesting book about a young woman named Ruth Davis who volunteers to work for Jane Goodall at the Gombe National Park, Tanzania, studying chimpanzee behavior.

The book introduces and describes all the young people volunteering in Gombe at the same time as Miss Davis and chronicles all aspects of daily life and work, interrelationships between volunteers and African staff and interactions with the primates themselves. One day Ruth Davis walks out of camp to follow the chimpanzees and never return to camp. A massive hunt to find her before it is too late ensues. Unfortunately when she is found she is already dead.

The author, Dale Peterson sets out an analysis at the end of the book as to how Miss Davis may have met her death. Miss Davis was quite young when she died but she had an indelible effect on two who knew her best at the camp. Together these people help tell her story and contribute greatly to getting this story out to the world.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating, well written book about the death of a young, white American researcher at Jane Goodall's research site in Tanzania in 1969. We know from the beginning of the book that Ruth will be found alone and dead after following a chimpanzee from camp (as was part of her job.) The author, many, many years after the event, is contacted by her (at the time) boyfriend who is suddenly haunted by memories of Ruth. The picture of the research done by these (mostly very young) people is interesting but of special interest was the insight into their personal struggles.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book, with so many interesting dimensions. I don't usually read a lot of non-fiction, but this piqued my interest and I'm so glad that I picked it up. Everything from chimpanzee behavior to human social life in isolation, to a specific and tragic story of a young woman's death, was compelling and written with clarity and insight. Totally worth a read.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why this is a book - it could have been an article about the early operation of Jane Goodall's camp research camp in Tanzania. Interesting, but not enough substance to hold the reader.