Tanzanian National Parks
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In Tanzania we have many National Parks,Which are under favourable condition for our guest.be kindly and happy when you visit Tanzanian National Parks.Some of them are:
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Saadani National Park
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It has been recently upgraded from game reserve to become the 13th National park in Tanzania. Saadani is Tanzania's only coastal wildlife sanctuary, the national park transformed from old Saadani Game Reserve, Wami River Delta and the South Mkwaja Ranch, which was bought in 1997 and donated to the Tanzanian government. The park has now the total area of almost 1,000 sq. kilometers. It is located 50 kilometers north of Bagamoyo Town. Mkwaja Saadani National Park contains a distinctive and rare habitats, (unique in East Africa) is the beach with salt grass flats along the Indian ocean.
At least 24 species of large mammals are found here, including the rare Roosevelt sable antelope, furthermore the beach areas contain one of the last significant East African breeding beaches in for the green turtle
At the Wami River mouth, there is large and still well preserved mangrove swamps. The northern part, where was a cattle ranch, is dominated by coastal lowland mosaic, presenting an exceptional variety of habitats, woodland, forest, coastal thicket, semi-arid scrub, grassland, wetlands, salt marshes, mangroves and beaches. This vegetation has a considerable number of elephants, buffaloes, large antelopes, and the rare Giant brown bat. On the coast of Indian Ocean, the park, have unique land form, which includes several pristine sand dunes with interesting vegetation types.
The main and much recognizable natural feature of the park is the Zaraninge Forest, 200 square kilometers (50,000 acres) of closed canopy tropical forest. It is one of the larger coastal forests in Tanzania, and part of the "Eastern Arc and Coastal Forest for Kenya and Tanzania Hotspot. The forest dominates the western part of Mkwaja Saadani National Park. This is a part of the park host new species of reptile (dwarf gecko), amphibian (Hyperolius parkeri), an endemic snail and many other species of invertebrates, 8 bird species, and large mammals.
African buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, and several antelopes species and lions are all found in the southern portion of the national park, which dominated by Wami river and its delta. Mkwaja Saadani National park with its complex ecosystem hold a large number of water birds including the greater flamingo, high concentration of cetacean and important population of crocodiles and hippos.
Rubondo Island National Park
This is a park covering the whole of an uninhabited island in the middle of Lake Victoria , Africa ’s largest fresh-water lake and one of the sources of the Great Nile. Strictly speaking, Rubondo is in Northern Tanzania , but for want of a better space and in keeping with the fly-in safaris akin to Western Tanzania , we have placed this page in this section.
Rubondo Island , in the southwest of Lake Victoria , is one of Tanzania ’s smallest National Parks and occupies an entire island in Lake Victoria . The 240 square km island, also known as “The Jewel of Victoria”, provides a unforgettable experience for visitors, including the main island and 11 smaller islets, combining the breathtaking natural beauty of a forest refuge with the relaxing tranquillity of sandy lake -shore beaches.
The Island is some 28 km in length along the north-south axis and between 3 and 10 km wide. Lake Victoria covers 68,000 square kilometres and is the largest lake in Africa and the second largest in the world – comparatively it is twice the size of The Netherlands. There are NO vehicles on Rubondo – the island is untouched by pollution from modern day transportation or commercialisation, and one of the only places that offers a truly ecological break. Rubondo Island boasts a unique diversity of flora and fauna. Only here can the visitor be sure of seeing Sitatunga and have the chance of observing small gangs of chimpanzees. Other mammals frequently seen include hippos, otters, bushbucks and vervet monkeys. Rarer sightings are genet, colobus, marsh mongoose and suni antelope.
Rubondo is a Paradise for bird-lovers, with nearly 430 species documented on the island. The diversity of habitats, from open woodland to papyrus swamps and evergreen forest, together with its geographical location in the heart of Africa , attracts numerous resident and migrant species. The island has an abundance of herons, storks, egrets, ibises, cormorants, kingfishers, flycatchers, bee-eaters, hornbills and birds of prey, including the highest density of fish eagles anywhere in the world.
ACCESS:
There are scheduled flights from Arusha, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Mwanza in peak season, charter flights only in low season. There are twice weekly flights from Arusha (via Seronera) to Rubondo on Tuesday and Friday, depart at 1425hrs arrives 1700hrs. Flights back to Seronera and Arusha on Wednesday and Saturdays, 0800hrs. The alternative is to travel by road from Mwanza to pier and then boat transfer (not very regular).
ACCOMMODATION:
Rubondo Island Tented Lodge.
CAMPING:
There is also a TANAPA campsite on the island for those who wish to do their own camping over a week or so.
ACTIVITIES ON RUBONDO:
Days on the island are filled with guided walking and hiking safaris, in search of elephant, giraffe, hippo, chimpanzees and the rare Sitatunga antelope. Boat trips on the lake are also fun and there is also some excellent fishing. This is a very beautiful spot, perfect for people who want some relaxation after a busy safari, but who don't necessarily want to lie around on a beach all day.
The Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Situated in one of the country's most beautiful wilderness areas, Udzungwa Mountains National Park is very special indeed. The 1000 km² park features scenic mountains and forests that are home to animals found nowhere else on earth. Six species of primates, including the rare Iringa red colobus monkey and the Sange crested mangabey monkey can be found here. The park also has elephant, buffalo, leopard and a rich birdlife.
The park lies in an area that is one of the few places in Africa to be covered by continuous rainforest. Though there are no roads, there are several hiking trails which are quite popular with hikers.
The Udzungwa Mountains are a mountain range south east of Dodoma in Tanzania and are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains. They are covered with tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland, steppe and are home to many large mammals, including the Uzungwa Red Colobus and Sanje crested mangabey, and unusual animals such as the Grey-faced Sengi. The area has extremely high biodiversity with numerous endemic species (more than 25% of the vertebrate species). They rise to 2579m at Luhombero and 10% of them are protected by national parks (the Udzungwa Mountains National Park and Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve).
Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale Mountains National Park lies on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania. Named after the Mahale Mountains range that is within its borders, the park has several unusual characteristics. First, it is one of only two protected areas for chimpanzees in the country. (The other is nearby Gombe Stream National Park made famous by the researcher Jane Goodall.) Another unusual feature of the park is that it is one of the very few in Africa that must be experienced by foot. There are no roads or other infrastructure within the park boundaries, and the only way in and out of the park is via boat on the lake.
Mahale Mountains National Park is home to the largest known population of chimpanzees and due to its size and remoteness, the chimpanzees flourish.
Ruaha National Park
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Ruaha National Park is the largest national park in Tanzania. It covers an area of about 20,200 km². It is located in the middle of Tanzania about 130 km from Iringa. The park is part of a more extensive ecosystem which includes Rungwa Game Reserve, Usangu Game Reserve, and several other protected areas.
The name of the park is derived from the Great Ruaha River, which flows along its south-eastern margin and is the focus for game-viewing. The park can be reached by car via Iringa and there is an airstrip at Msembe, park headquarters.
History
The creation of a national park in this area was first proposed in 1949 by the Senior Game Ranger in Mbeya, George Rushby. In 1951 it was gazetted by the British colonial authorities as an extension of the neighbouring Rungwa Game Reserve. People living in the new protected area were subsequently forced to move out. In 1964 it was excised from the game reserve and elevated to full park status.
Wildlife
Ruaha is famous for its large population of Elephants. Presently about 10.000 are roaming the park. Ruaha National Park is also a true birdwatchers paradise: 436 species have been identified of an estimated total of 475. Among the resident birds are different species of Hornbills, Kingfishers and Sunbirds. Also many migrants visit Ruaha, e.g. the White Stork
Other special animals in Ruaha are: the African Wild Dog and Sable Antelope. Rhinoceros were last been sighted in 1982 and are probably extinct in the park due to poaching.
The best times to visit for predators and large mammals is the dry season (May-December) and for birds and flowers, the wet season (January-April).
Environmental change
The park is currently facing a significant environmental challenge from the progressive drying up of the Great Ruaha River. The river used to flow all year round, but since 1993 there have been increasingly long periods every dry season in which it has dried up completely. Different hypotheses have been advanced to account for this, and one view is that it is caused by the expansion of irrigation schemes for rice cultivation and growth of livestock keeping in the Usangu wetland, which feeds the Great Ruaha River
Accommodation
There are five lodges in Ruaha: Mwagusi Safari Camp, Mdonya Old River Camp , Ruaha River Lodge, Kwihale and Jongomero Camp. There are also several park run public campsites
Katavi National Park
Katavi National Park was gazetted in 1974 and is located in Western Tanzania. It is a very remote park that is less frequently visited than other Tanzanian National Parks. The park is approximately 4,471 square kilometers (1,727 sq miles) in area, which makes it the third largest National Park in Tanzania. The park encompasses the Katuma River and the seasonal Lake Katavi and Lake Chada floodplains.
Wildlife
Wildlife features include large animal herds, particularly of Cape Buffalo and elephant, plus along the Katuma river, crocodiles and hippos which upon annual dry seasons results in mudholes that can be packed with hundreds of hippos. Some sources claim a very high biodiversity in the park, although there are also reports of wildlife decline due to illegal hunting and poaching, presumably 'bushmeat' sustenance. In general, what is probably most noteworthy feature of Katavi versus other Tanzania Parks is that it lacks human visitors and jeeps conducting game drives.
Visitors
Visitors to the park on an annual basis is unclear, except that in comparison to better known parks, is very low. From varying website claims, the number of visitors appears to be anywhere from 300-500 visitors/year. A survey of the actual rooms sold by the available 'Safari' style accommodations might reveal the number to be slightly higher, but based on total room count and season length, an upper limit can also be estimated. In addition to a public campsite (located at SO 06'39'19.1 E0 031'08'07.9), as of 2006, there were only two camps permitted to operate at Katavi, namely the Chada and the Foxes. These camps each have a visitor capacity limit of approximately one dozen.
Access to the park
Getting to Katavi for visitors will likely be arranged by the hosting camp, with one of the available charter flight services being Safari Aviation. All flights will require landing on the Katavi grass airstrip which has very minimal services. It is very approximately a two hour flight from Katavi to Daar Es Salaam via a small, bush-compatible light aircraft.
Gombe Stream National Park
Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, located at 4 40' S 29 38' E, is the smallest of that country's national parks and was formed in 1968 to give protection to 150 chimpanzees that lived there, made famous by the primatologist Jane Goodall. Researchers have been studying the chimpanzee population there for many years, and have gained valuable insights into the behavior of our closest nonhuman relatives. The park forms a 2.5 km by 14 km strip of land near the shore of Lake Tanganyika. The actual lakeshore is excluded from the park, however, allowing visitors to camp or walk along the shore.
The total area of the park is 52 km². In addition to chimpanzees, primates in the park include vervet and colobus monkeys and baboons. Other wildlife in the park include forest pigs, small antelopes and many species of birds.
The Selous Game Reserve
The Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest fauna reserves of the world, located in the south of Tanzania. It was named after Englishman Sir Frederick Selous, a famous big game hunter and early conservationist, who died in in this territory in 1917 while fighting against the Germans in World War I. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to the diversity of its wildlife and undisturbed nature.
The reserve covers a total area of 54,600 km² (21,081 square miles). Some of the typical animals of the savanna (for example elephants, hippopotami, African Wild Dog and crocodiles) can be found in this park in a larger numbers than in any other African park.
The area became a hunting reserve in 1905. Nowadays it also has a touristic importance, though most of it is rarely visited by humans.
Interesting places in the park include the river of Rufiji, which flows into the Indian Ocean in front of the Mafia Island and the Stiegler, a canyon of 100 metres depth and 100 metres width. Around this canyon can be found most of the touristic facilities.
In the Selous Reserve safari by foot is permitted. This type of exploration is forbidden in most other national parks of Africa
