By Ojugbele Omotunde
Tanzania, situated in East Africa, is home to three of Africa’s 7 Wonders of Nature. Spanning an impressive 945,087 square kilometers (364,900 square miles), this diverse nation invites explorers to delve into its varied landscapes and experience the heart of Africa. Renowned for its wildlife, rich traditions, and stunning topography, Tanzania stands as a gem on the continent’s map.
The country is a popular tourist destination and a country which boasts of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa has 38% of its land reserved for conservation, including 17 national parks, 29 game reserves, 40 controlled conservation areas, and marine parks.
Tanzania’s wildlife, including the Big Five cheetahs, wildebeests, giraffes, hippopotamuses, and antelopes, is primarily found in the northern regions of Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, and Lake Manyara National Park which is considered the country’s popular wildlife attraction.
Aside boasting of seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, other of Tanzania’s nature destinations includes:
9. Ngorongoro Crater & Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest unbroken, inactive, and unfilled caldera, covering 260 sq km and containing over 30,000 animals, including the rare black rhino.
It was formed when a massive volcano, as high as Mt Kilimanjaro, erupted and collapsed 2.5 million years ago. The crater floor covers an area of 100 sq miles.
Presently, the crater floor is home to diverse landscapes, including mountain forests, woodlands, grasslands, lakes, and swamps, with water sources from Munge River and Lerai River, and the Ngotokitok spring.
The crater floor is also home to a diverse array of wildlife, including zebras, wildebeests, elands, Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelles, elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards, rare black rhinos, serval cats, spotted hyenas, jackals, and cheetahs. However, leopards are rarely seen, and the rare black rhino is more difficult to spot.
Lake Magadi, an alkaline lake, is home to a variety of mammals, including lesser flamingos, ostriches, Kori bustards, crowned cranes, white-backed vultures, black kites, cattle egrets, tawny eagles, and augur buzzards.
The trail, accompanied by a ranger, passes through moss-covered trees and Masai bomas. The crater is part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a protected land declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The area features dense mountain forests, woodlands, grasslands, lakes, and swamps, and is home to important archaeological sites like Oldupai Gorge and Laetoli.
Evidence found by archaeologists points to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area as the possible cradle of humanity, where hominids lived over 3 million years ago. Sharing a boundary with Serengeti National Park, it is one of Tanzania’s few wildlife-protected places, home to around 40,000 Masai today.
10. Ruaha National Park
Ruaha safaris offer diverse landscapes and wildlife sightings, but due to limited accommodations and its remote location in the southern part of Tanzania, many travelers miss out on the opportunity to visit the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater not to talk of ruaha making it a popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts.
The Park is a unique botanical paradise with a diverse vegetation of flat treeless savannahs, Miombo woodlands, dry bush lands, swamps, and riverine forests. With nearly 1650 plant species, it is named after the Ruaha River, which flows 160 km through the park. It is also known for its diverse scenery, including large open plains, rolling hills, river systems, wetlands, kopjes, and mountains.
The Park is a transition zone where eastern and southern flora and fauna overlap, with the Great Rift Valley running through it and surrounded by escarpment walls and natural springs.
During the dry season, the Ruaha River becomes scarce, attracting predators who feed on its waterholes. The riverine vegetation on its shores provides cover for various animals, making it the best hunting ground in the park, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, and hyenas.
Ruaha National Park is renowned for its high concentration of African elephants in East Africa, with up to 200 spotted under giant baobab trees. The park also houses kudu species, sable and roan antelopes, and up to 529 bird species, including the endemic Ruaha red-billed hornbill, kingfishers, sunbirds, black collared lovebirds, starlings, ground hornbills, bateleurs, and fish eagles. Ornithologists can enjoy the diverse wildlife of the park.
11. Selous & Nyerere National Park
Nyerere National Park and Selous Game Reserve in Southwest Tanzania, covering an area larger than Switzerland, are one of the largest protected areas on the African continent. UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, they host a wealth of wildlife and diverse habitats. Established in 1922, the Selous Game Reserve was divided into Nyerere National Park and Selous Game Reserve in 2019.
The park offers diverse habitats like Miombo woodlands, rolling hills, savannahs, swamps, lakes, and rivers. The Rufiji River is Tanzania’s longest water source. Nyerere National Park is dedicated to photographic safaris, while Selous Game Reserve is divided into hunting concessions.
The Park offers a diverse wildlife experience with large concentrations of buffalo, hippo, wildebeest, impalas, zebra, gazelle, hartebeest, giraffe, waterbuck, kudu, crocodile, roan, sable antelopes, and half of Tanzania’s elephant population. It also hosts numerous predators along the Rufiji River, including the endangered African Wild Hunting Dog and Black Rhino.
Nyerere National Park offers a variety of bird watching activities, including a guided walk with an armed ranger, and offers a variety of activities like game drives, boat safaris, and African fish eagles, among others. The park also features the rare pel’s fishing owl.
12. Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park in northwest Tanzania is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique wildlife migrations, vast numbers of wildlife, and diverse landscapes. The park offers exceptional wildlife viewing year-round, including the great wildebeest migration and the Big Five, and is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including the Big Five.
THE FOUR AREAS OF THE SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Central Serengeti
The Seronera Valley, located in the park, is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including lions, cheetahs, and leopards. The Seronera River, lined with palm, sausage, and yellow fever trees, attracts numerous birds and animals, including vegetarian giants at the Retima Hippo Pool.
Southern Serengeti
The southern plains feature grasslands and granite kopjes, home to the entire food chain. These shady resting places provide nurseries for various species, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, rock hyraxes, and Agama lizards. Named kopjes include Simba, Gol, Research, and Moru. Wildebeest calving around Lake Ndutu occurs from January to February, attracting predators.
Western Serengeti
The Western Serengeti, extending as far as Lake Victoria, features wooded savannah and black cotton soils. The park is bordered by the Grumeti Game Reserve and Ikorongo Game Reserve, and is home to two large rivers, the Grumeti and Mbalageti, which flow into Lake Victoria.
Northern Serengeti
Northern Serengeti, a mix of open woodlands, riverine forests, and hills, is known for its majestic Mara River, crocodile-watching crocodiles, and the iconic wildebeest river-crossing, offering an intimate safari experience despite being less frequented.
The Serengeti National Park is home to the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhino – and a diverse array of bird species, including Secretary Birds, Egyptian Geese, Black Headed Herons, Grey Crowned Cranes, Kori Bustards, and Tanzania’s largest Ostrich populations.
The Great Wildebeest Migration, involving approximately 1.5 million wildebeests, is a breathtaking spectacle that attracts numerous predators through the plains and river-crossings.
13. Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park in Tanzania offers diverse landscapes and a high density of wildlife, making it a lesser-known safari destination. Located along the way to the famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, the park is a popular safari destination with a variety of vegetation including open grasslands, savannah, Baobab trees, thick acacia bush, palm trees, and swamps filled with tall elephant grass. The park is a popular stopover for travelers looking to break up their journey and enjoy the diverse wildlife and scenic surroundings.
Tarangire offers a classic safari experience with elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, and zebras. For those staying more than one night, the Silale Swamp, spanning 70 square kilometers, is a popular spot for elephants and big cats and with luck, there can be observation of tree-climbing lions, antelopes, and zebras while enjoying the lush greens and cool shade.
The Park boasts a diverse wildlife population, including elephants, giraffes, impalas, warthogs, zebras, wildebeests, dwarf mongoose, ostriches, lions, leopards, and wild hunting dogs. The park also houses 550 bird species, including the greater and lesser Kudus, and oryx antelopes.
The Park boasts a diverse wildlife population, including elephants, giraffes, impalas, warthogs, zebras, wildebeests, dwarf mongoose, ostriches, lions, leopards, and wild hunting dogs. The park also houses 550 bird species, including the greater and lesser Kudus, and oryx antelopes.
From June to September, the park experiences a migration of thousands of wildebeests, zebras, and elephants to better graze along the Tarangire River, the park’s only permanent water source and up to 2000 elephants reside in the park, some from Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
The park also features a diverse array of wildlife, including cats, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and African wild dogs. Lions can be seen sunbathing on riverbanks, leopards resting in baobab trees, and cheetahs hiding from prey. The decreasing numbers of these hunters make spotting them a rewarding experience.
Tarangire National Park is home to 550 bird species, including yellow collared lovebirds, red billed hornbills, southern ground hornbills, lilac breasted rollers, ostriches, raptors, and water birds, among others, making it a must-see for bird enthusiasts.
Theo park which has s renowned for its beautiful baobab-cracked landscape, featuring age-old baobab trees that provide habitat for bees, birds, bats, and animals like elephants. Until the mid-1990s, one of these trees was used as a hiding place by illegal poachers, storing and drying illegally hunted meat. Fortunately, rangers put an end to their activities, and visitors can now visit the Poachers Hide to step inside the Baobab tree.
The Tarangire River, a vital lifeline for the park’s residents, flows year-round into Lake Burunge in the northwest. The south is dominated by marsh land, which is impassable in the wet season but completely dry in the dry season.