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Ngorongoro National Park
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NGORONGORO CRATER
SAFARIS & NATIONAL PARK- TANZANIA
Nearly three million years ago Ngorongoro towered alongside
Mount Kilimanjaro as one of the highest peaks in Africa.
Forged during the tumultuous birth of the Rift Valley, its
volcanic top erupted at the time that ancient man first walked
the plains.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) covers some 8,300
square kilometers. It boasts the finest blend of landscapes,
wildlife, people and archaeological sites in Africa. It is
also a pioneering experiment in multiple land use. The concept
of multiple land use in conservation perspective is a
deviation from a traditional approach of regarding
conservation as complete absenteeism of human interference.
Geology:
Rifts and volcanoes shape the landscape of Ngorongoro. A rift
is a disturbance in the earth crust, which causes rise or
falls of its borders. Rifts also causes lava or melted rock to
penetrate to the surface where it hardens. If lava emerges
from the same penetration for a long period, it builds up into
a volcano. |
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In the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the main rifts are north
of Lake Eyasi and east of Lakes Manyara and Lake Natron, where
the nine volcanoes of Ngorongoro highlands were formed during
the past four million years. Of these, only volcano Oldonyo
Lengai is still active. The ash and dust from the eruptions
was carried by the wind to form the fertile soils of the
Serengeti plains.
Wildlife
Today, Ngorongoro's caldera shelters the most beautiful
wildlife haven on earth. Ngorongoro has over 20,000 large
animals including some of Tanzania's last remaining black
rhino, protected within its rim. Black-manned lions stalk the
grasslands, flamingoes crowd the soda lakes and giant-tusked
elephants wander the forests. Towering euphorbias cling to the
crater walls and on the floor, Fever tree and Fig tree forests
give shade to an awe-inspiring array of creatures. |
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Animals are free to leave or enter the crater but most of them
stay because of the plentiful water and food available on the
crater floor throughout the year. For the best viewing and
photography, approach the animals slowly and quietly and stay
on the official tracks. Some of the other species are mainly
Wildebeest, Zebra, Buffalo and Gazelles. All these animals in
turn support large predators such as Lion and Leopard, and
scavengers such as Hyena and Jackals.
The Ngorongoro Crater Floor
Interpretive game drives through the emerald plains and
forests of the crater floor engender guests with a respect for
the people and wildlife of this world wonder.
A sheer dirt road descends from Malanja Depression on the
crater rim to the crater floor. At the top of the road, Maasai
women and children allow you to photograph them for a small
fee. The Malanja depression is grassy and open and is a good
place to spot typical highland antelope such as mountain
reedbuck and Kirks dik-dik, and birds such as the striking
auger buzzard and Schalows wheatear.
The dominant feature of the crater floor is Lake Magadi, a
shallow soda lake that supports large flocks of flamingo. Much
of the crater floor is open grassland, making animal spotting
relatively easy: black rhino, lion, hyena, gazelle, wildebeest
and zebra are all commonly seen. The hippo pool near Mandusi
Swamp is a popular picnic spot. |
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LAKE MANYARA:
The cleavage, known as the Great Rift Valley, can be
identified from space as the most distinctive feature of the
continent.
The seam of this cleavage has developed a series of
fascinating and beautiful lakes. Manyara is a fantastic big
game park.
The variety of habitats parallels its exceptional scenery.
Every imaginable East African animal is found here in
abundance.
There are great herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and
several varieties of gazelle. Mahogany, sausage tree and
croton are alive with blue monkeys and vervet monkeys. Some of
the most amazingly large pods of hippos congregate at the
rivers emerging into the lake, and the birdlife is
plentiful. Lake Manyara is also known for its “tree-climbing”
lions.
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MIKUMI:
Mikumi National Park covers 3237 square kilometers and lies
within the Mkata River plain bordered by the Uluguru Mountain
range to the east and the Rubeho Mountains on the west, an
area of lush vegetation which particularly attracts
elephants and buffalos. Open grasslands dominate in the flood
plain, eventually merging with the Miombo woodland covering
the lower hills. Wildlife is abundant with giraffes, zebras,
buffalos, hartebeests, wildebeests, elephants, wild dogs,
and smaller mammals and reptiles. Mikumi’s vegetation includes
woodland, swamp and grassland with two water holes, Mkata and
Chamgore. Apart form the saddle-bill stork, hammer kop and
malachite kingfisher, there are also monitor
lizards and a deadly python inhabiting the pools.
RUAHA:
The Ruaha National Park is Tanzania’s second largest park and
the world’s largest elephant sanctuary. Although set in
spectacular scenery with an abundance of wildlife, the park is
one of the lesser visited in the country, keeping it an
isolated and peaceful wilderness. Amongst the game found at
the park are elephants, buffalos, giraffes, cheetahs, lions,
leopards, a wide variety of antelope and over 465 recorded
species of birdlife. |
SELOUS:
Selous is one of the most remote and least visited game park
in Africa, but at 15,000 square miles, it is the world’s
largest game reserve. The name derives from hunter-explorer
Frederick Courtenay Selous, a keen naturalist and
conservationist as well as a hunter. He was killed in the
First World War in the Beho Beho region of the reserve. The
defining feature of the Selous is the great Rufiji River,
which naturally splits the ecosystem into two distinct parts.
The area can be explored by boat, sailing through swamps and
lagoons where elephant often come to bathe, or even by foot,
as the Selous is one of few Tanzanian reserves to allow
walking tours. It has the world’s largest number of big game,
more than 120,000 elephants, 160,000 buffaloes and about 2,000
rhinoceros. In addition, the Selous contains Africa’s greatest
concentration of hippopotamus, crocodiles and wild dogs. |
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TARANGIRE:
Tarangire National Park covers 2,600 square kilometers and is
on the traditional migration route of several species of the
wildlife. At dry times, the concentration of animals in
Tarangire rivals that of the much better known Serengeti.
Herds of
migratory wildebeest, gazelle, zebra and buffalo gather along
the marshy shores of Lake Natron. These pools are shared by
flocks of birds: green wood hoopoes, fisher lovebirds, tallish
herons, white bellied go-away birds and giant kingfishers.
Resident lion, giraffe, elephant, and black rhino are common
at any season; Tarangire is noted for its baobab trees and
splendid vistas of rolling savannah and acacia woodland. The
strange-looking, centuries-old baobab trees are believed by
the Maasai to be the first tree in creation. |
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AFRICAN SERVALCAT SAFARIS & TOURS