Wildlife in Tanzania
Wildlife in Tanzania : Tanzania is a popular safari destination for wildlife viewing as well as the amazing safaris which are offered in the different parts of the country.The big 5 are among the wildlife species which tourists enjoy seeing during their safaris around Tanzania.
The big 5 include elephants, buffalos, rhinos, lions and leopards which are considered the most difficult wildlife species to hunt on foot.
In Tanzania, the big 5 can be seen in destinations such as Serengeti national park and also in the Ngorongoro conservation area. The northern tourist circuit of Tanzania is popular for wildlife viewing.
The northern tourist circuit of Tanzania consists of wildlife viewing destinations such as Serengeti national park, Tarangire national park, Lake Manyara national park and the Ngorongoro conservation area.
Serengeti national park
Serengeti national park is the oldest national park of Tanzania which covers about 14750 square kilometers and is located in the northern part of Tanzania.
Wildlife species which can be spotted in Serengeti national park include wildebeests, zebras, hippos, giraffes, cheetahs, lions, elephants, leopards, antelopes, impalas, gazelles, waterbucks, kudu among others.
The annual wildebeest migration also takes place in Serengeti national park where over 2 million wildebeests can be spotted moving in their herds around the savannah plains. Parts of Serengeti national park which tourists visit during their safaris include the western Serengeti, northern Serengeti and central Serengeti.
Activities which are carried out around Serengeti national park include game drives in the morning, afternoon or evening, guided nature walks, bird watching and community visits with the Maasai.
Tarangire national park
Another wildlife viewing destination in the northern art of Tanzania is Tarangire national park which is home to a large number of elephants.
Tarangire national park is named after the river which flows through the national park where a number of wildlife species can be seen during a safari such as giraffes, lions, leopards, antelopes, waterbucks, gazelles among others.
The national park also has over 600 bird species which can be seen during a safari. Tarangire national park is made up of swamps, acacia woodlands and the ancient baobab trees.
The baobab trees in Tarangire national park are of importance to the wildlife species in the national park in different ways. They are also referred to as the tree of life and water is stored in the trunks of the baobab trees.
Baobabs also provide food and shelter for the different wildlife species in Tarangire national park. Elephants also sharpen their tusks on the tree barks and the locals who live in the neighboring areas of the national park get herbs from the baobab trees.
Lake Manyara national park
Lake Manyara national park is home to tree climbing lions and is found in the Great Rift Valley in the northern part of Tanzania.
Wildlife species which can be seen during safaris around Lake Manyara national park include hippos, baboons, elephants, waterbucks, impalas, dik dik, colobus monkeys, giraffes and many others.
The national park is small in size and covers about 325 square kilometers and is also made up of savannah, forests, acacia woodland and a shallow alkaline lake which covers a big part of Lake Manyara national park and is also a major attraction at the destination where flamingos and many other bird species can be seen.
Activities around Lake Manyara national park include game drive in the morning, afternoon and night, guided nature walks, canopy walks, bird watching, canoeing, community visits to Maasai villages.
The treetop walkway in Lake Manyara national park is a form of canopy walk which takes place along a suspended bridge which is about 18 meters above the ground. There are viewing platforms along the walkway where tourists enjoy the beautiful views around the national park as well as bird species in the national park.
Community visits are carried out at Mto wa mbu town which is located on the way to Lake Manyara national park. This activity involves interactions between the tourists and the Maasai people.
Ngorongoro conservation area
Ngorongoro conservation area is a big 5 destination and also the world’s largest inactive caldera which was formed as a result of volcanic activity is also found in Ngorongoro.
Numerous wildlife species can be seen during a safari around Ngorongoro conservation area and along the crater floor and these include elephants, rhinos, buffalos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hippos, antelopes, waterbucks, kudu, hartebeests, wildebeests, zebras, impalas among others.
Game drives on the crater floor are among the activities which tourists engage in during safaris around Ngorongoro conservation area and other activities carried out at the destination include guided nature walks, bird watching as well as Maasai visits.
Wildlife viewing in Tanzania can also be carried out around the southern part of the country. Other national parks of Tanzania include Ruaha national park, Mikumi national park, Selous game reserve, Mahale national park, Rubondo national park, Arusha national park, Gombe stream national park among others.
Chimpanzee trekking is among the activities which are carried out in Gombe stream national park in Tanzania.
Apart from the various wildlife experiences in Tanzania, there are other activities which are carried out during safaris and they include hiking in destinations such as Mount Kilimanjaro which is the highest mountain in Africa, visiting the islands and beaches of Tanzania such as Zanzibar, boat rides and many others.
Other attractions of Tanzania
Mount Kilimanjaro is also part of the attractions found in the northern part of Tanzania which is popular for hiking and is visited annually by tourists from different parts of the world who hike along different routes to get to the summit of the mountain. Another hiking destination in Tanzania is Mount Meru.
Zanzibar is popular for tourists who are on vacation and they visit the island and enjoy relaxing on the white sand beaches and also engaging in activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming and many others.
Visit the different destinations of Tanzania and experience amazing wildlife viewing as you explore the savannah and engaging in other activities around the national parks.
