Tanzania's National Parks

Tanzania is a country in East Africa famous for its vast wilderness and plains that are home to the big five, which includes the lion, elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, and the Leopard mainly found in the Serengeti National Park. Kilimanjaro National Park has the tallest mountain on the continent, Mount Kilimanjaro. The Tanzanian’s game viewing experiences is among the best in Africa. Endless herds of wildebeest and zebra can be seen trekking the plains as they make their annual migration. Their predators; lion, cheetah, and hyena can be seen following closely. Tanzania has three main safari regions: The Northern circuit that includes Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Serengeti National Park; The southern circuit which include Ruaha National Park and Selous Game Reserve; The Western circuits which include Mahale Mountains National Park, Gombe Stream National Park, and Katavi National Park.

Tanzania's National Parks

Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park, covering 53 square miles, is a beautiful African park. It is the closest Tanzanian Wildlife Park to both Kilimanjaro international airport and Arusha town. The wildlife in the park is abundant. The park is topographically varied game reserves in the country. It has three significant features; different Momela lakes, Ngurdoto and Mount Meru. The beguiling and varied flora and fauna found in reserve get determined by the different geography and altitude of the 3 zones. The National Park has a wide range of wildlife. The shy bushbuck to those forested parts, near water, waterbuck can be spotted and large animals such as leopards in the Mount Meru eco-system. Vegetation includes the open savanna and mountain rainforests. The climate is pleasant and mild. June to September are the driest months. Long rains start from March to May while the short rains From October to November. The current increase in population together with the excessive exploitation of natural resources has become a threat to the park. Tanzania National Parks manages the park among other reserves. There are administrative and management framework that governs activities taking place in the park. It ensures that threats such as poaching and grazing are stopped thereby conserving the environment.

Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti National Park is one of the largest Parks in Eastern Africa. It covers an area of 5,700 square miles. It lies in Northwestern Tanzania. To the north, it is boarded by the Kenya, and it is continuation of the Maasai Mara national reserve in Kenya. The park has three sections: Serengeti plains, the western corridor, and Northern Serengeti. Serengeti is almost treeless grassland. Wildebeest breed in this area. Other animals found include Zebra, Gazelle, and Impala. The western corridor is covered by black clay soil. Animals found include monkeys, crocodile, and hippopotamus. Open woodlands dominate northern Serengeti. Only migratory animals such as wildebeest get identified in the region. The climate is warm and dry with the mean temperature ranging between 15 degrees to 25 degrees Celsius. Short rains are between Novembers to January while long rains are from March to May. The current increase in population together with the excessive exploitation of natural resources has become a threat to the park. Tanzania National Parks, which manages and administers the park, forbid human habitation in the park except for its staff as a measure of conservation.

Tarangire National Park

The Tarangire National Park is in Manyara region. It covers an area of 1,100 square miles. The name originates from Tangarire River that crosses the park, and it is the primary sources of water for the wild animals. The Tarangire Ecosystem gets marked by long distance migration of wildebeest and zebra. The terrain is composed of the river valley, swamps, and granitic ridges. The vegetation is a mixture of seasonally flooded grassland, baobab trees, and Commiphora-Combretum woodland. The park has a high density of baobab trees and elephants. Animals found during the dry season include wildebeest and zebra. Other resident animals include giraffe, impala, and Grant gazelles. The park receives 650mm of rain on average per year. Short rains are between Novembers and December while long rains are from March to May. Poaching and overgrazing by the neighboring communities have become a threat to the national park. Tanzania National Parks, which manages and administers the park, forbid unauthorized human habitation in the park as a measure of conservation of the environment.

Kilimanjaro National Park

The park is located in Kilimanjaro region Tanzania and includes the surrounding Montane forest belt and the whole of Mount Kilimanjaro. The park covers an area of 291 squares miles. Animals found include the gray duiker, rodents, the Kilimanjaro tree hyrax, blue monkeys, and western Black among others. Poaching and overgrazing by the neighboring communities have become a threat to the park. The driest months are August to October. The Rainfall decreases rapidly with altitude. The warmest months are January to March. The Park is protected under the national legislation as one of the country’s park. It is administered by the Tanzania National Parks Authority. Tanzania National Parks, which manages and administers the park, forbid unauthorized human habitation in the park as a measure of conservation of the environment.

Factors Affecting National Parks In Tanzania

Climate change which is a continued change of the climate has had an impact on the national parks. Change in temperature has made some animals’ move from one park to the other. Increased drought has led to elephants’ invasion in the human territories as they search for food. Water shortages in some parks are a big issue and have already become drier. It has resulted in a decrease in the supply of water on which aquatic species depend.