Arusha National Park
Encyclopedia
Arusha National Park covers Mount Meru
, a prominent volcano
with an elevation of 4566 m, in the Arusha Region
of north eastern Tanzania
.
The park is small but varied with spectacular landscapes in three distinct areas. In the west, the Meru Crater funnels the Jekukumia River; the peak of Mount Meru lies on its rim. Ngurdoto Crater
in the south-east is grassland
. The shallow alkaline Momella Lakes in the north-east have varying algal
colours and are known for their wading birds.
Mount Meru is the second highest peak in Tanzania after Mount Kilimanjaro
, which is just 60 km away and forms a backdrop to views from the park to the east. Arusha National Park lies on a 300-kilometre axis of Africa's most famous national parks, running from Serengeti
and Ngorongoro Crater in the west to Kilimanjaro National Park
in the east.
The park is just a few kilometres north east of Arusha
, though the main gate is 25 km east of the city. It is also 58 km from Moshi
and 35 km from Kilimanjaro International Airport
(KIA).
Arusha National Park has a rich variety of wildlife, but visitors shouldn't expect the same game-viewing experience they find in other National Parks of Tanzania's northern citcuit. Despite the small size of the park, common animals include giraffe, buffalo, zebra, warthog, the black-and-white colobus
monkey, the blue monkey, flamingos and more. African Elephant are present, but rarely seen, similarly Leopard
, but there are no lion in the park. Birdlife in the forest is prolific, with many forest species more easily seen here than elsewhere on the tourist route - Narina Trogon
and Bar-tailed Trogon
are both possible highlights for visiting birders, whilst the range of starling
species provide somewhat less gaudy interest.
Mount Meru (Tanzania)
Mount Meru is an active stratovolcano located west of Mount Kilimanjaro in the nation of Tanzania. At a height of , it is visible from Mt Kilimanjaro on a clear day, and is the tenth highest mountain in Africa. Much of its bulk was lost about 8,000 years ago due to an eastward volcanic blast,...
, a prominent volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
with an elevation of 4566 m, in the Arusha Region
Arusha Region
Arusha is one of Tanzania's 26 administrative regions. The regional capital and largest city is Arusha. Other towns include Monduli, just west of Arusha, Longido and Loliondo to the north, Mto Wa Mbu and Karatu to the west and Usa River to the east...
of north eastern Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
.
The park is small but varied with spectacular landscapes in three distinct areas. In the west, the Meru Crater funnels the Jekukumia River; the peak of Mount Meru lies on its rim. Ngurdoto Crater
Ngurdoto Crater
Ngurdoto Crater is a volcanic crater in Tanzania. The crater is 3.6 km in diameter at its widest and 100 m deep. Ngurdoto Crater is surrounded by forest whilst the crater floor is a swamp. It is located in Arusha National Park....
in the south-east is grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
. The shallow alkaline Momella Lakes in the north-east have varying algal
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
colours and are known for their wading birds.
Mount Meru is the second highest peak in Tanzania after Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:...
, which is just 60 km away and forms a backdrop to views from the park to the east. Arusha National Park lies on a 300-kilometre axis of Africa's most famous national parks, running from Serengeti
Serengeti
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between latitudes 1 and 3 S and longitudes 34 and 36 E. It spans some ....
and Ngorongoro Crater in the west to Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro National Park is a national park, located 200 miles south of the equater near Moshi, Tanzania. It is centered on Mount Kilimanjaro, and covers an area of from 2°45'–3°25'S, 37°00'–37°43'E....
in the east.
The park is just a few kilometres north east of Arusha
Arusha
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
, though the main gate is 25 km east of the city. It is also 58 km from Moshi
Moshi
Moshi is a Tanzanian town with a population of 144,739 in Kilimanjaro Region. The town is situated on the lower slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, a volcanic mountain that is the highest mountain in Africa....
and 35 km from Kilimanjaro International Airport
Kilimanjaro International Airport
Kilimanjaro International Airport is the second, albeit small, international airport of Tanzania . It serves the Kilimanjaro area including the cities of Arusha and Moshi near Mount Kilimanjaro, and the international tourism industry based on Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro...
(KIA).
Wildlife
Black-and-white colobus
Black-and-white colobuses are Old World monkeys of the genus Colobus, native to Africa. They are closely related to the brown colobus monkeys of genus Piliocolobus. The word "colobus" comes from Greek κολοβός kolobós , and is so named because its thumb is a stump.Colobuses are herbivorous, eating...
monkey, the blue monkey, flamingos and more. African Elephant are present, but rarely seen, similarly Leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, but there are no lion in the park. Birdlife in the forest is prolific, with many forest species more easily seen here than elsewhere on the tourist route - Narina Trogon
Narina Trogon
The Narina Trogon, Apaloderma narina, is a medium-sized , largely green forest bird in the Trogonidae family, the most widespread and catholic in habitat choice of three Apaloderma trogons...
and Bar-tailed Trogon
Bar-tailed Trogon
The Bar-tailed Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.-Distribution and habitat:It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia...
are both possible highlights for visiting birders, whilst the range of starling
Starling
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent...
species provide somewhat less gaudy interest.