Wildlife of Tanzania
Encyclopedia
The wildlife of Tanzania
refers to the flora and fauna of Tanzania
. Tanzania contains some 20 percent of the species of Africa
’s large mammal
population, found across its 14 national parks, reserves, conservation areas and marine parks, spread over an area of more than 42000 square kilometres (16,216.3 sq mi) and forming more than one-third of the country's territory. Wildlife resources of Tanzania are described as "without parallel in Africa" and "the prime game viewing country". Serengeti National Park
, the largest declared park area of 14763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi), is located in northern Tanzania and is famous for its extensive migratory herds of wildebeests and zebra
while also having the reputation as one of the great natural wonders of the world. Ngorongoro Conservation Area
, established in 1959 with an area of 8094.4 square kilometres (3,125.3 sq mi), listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is inhabited by the Masai. Its Ngorongoro Crater is known as the "largest intact caldera
in the world".
The national parks are also part of the wetland
s of Tanzania. The wild animals tend to be closer to the wetlands, particularly the water loving species such as the hippopotamus
, waterbuck
, warthog
, elephant
, crocodile
, sitatunga
as well as water bird
s such as flamingoes and ducks.
. However, in recent years, corrective actions have been initiated by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) to involve the local community in conservation efforts, which is aimed at contribution to local economies by way of equitable benefits sharing.
The wildlife resources in Tanzania provide an annual income of US$30 million to the national exchequer, and an income of US$9 million as revenue from the leasing companies. Illegal hunting is estimated to be worth US$ 50 million. In the 1990s, exports of 1.68 million birds, 523,000 reptiles, 12,000 mammals and 148,000 amphibians occurred, in addition to an increase in wildlife related tourism by about 30%. Fishery resources have also contributed richly to the export revenue of the country with export value of US$130 million reported in 2003, with export of Nile perch
accounting for a major share of US$100 million.
(137 square kilometres (52.9 sq mi)), Gombe Stream National Park (52 square kilometres (20.1 sq mi)), Katavi National Park
(4471 square kilometres (1,726.3 sq mi)), Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
(755 square kilometres (291.5 sq mi)), Kitulo National Park
(442 square kilometres (170.7 sq mi)), Mahale Mountains National Park
(1613 square kilometres (622.8 sq mi)), Lake Manyara National Park
(330 square kilometres (127.4 sq mi)), Mikumi National Park
(3230 square kilometres (1,247.1 sq mi)), Ruaha National Park
(10300 square kilometres (3,976.9 sq mi)), Rubondo Island National Park
(240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi)), Saadani National Park
(1062 square kilometres (410 sq mi)), Serengeti National Park
(14763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi)), Tarangire National Park
(2850 square kilometres (1,100.4 sq mi)) and Udzungwa Mountains National Park
(1990 square kilometres (768.3 sq mi). Apart from the national parks, a very notable wildlife area in Tanzania is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
which was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1959. The criteria cited for this recognition are for its uniqueness in revealing sequence of crucial evidence related to human evolution, the striking landscape of Ngorongoro Crater (the largest unbroken caldera
in the world) combined with its large concentration of wildlife, overlying ecosystems and its wildlife population of more than 25,000 ungulates.
Arusha National Park
, termed the "safari capital" of Northern Tanzania with the Arusha town
located within its precincts, is spread over an area of 137 square kilometres (52.9 sq mi). It is within the riverine, lacustrine
and palustrine
wetland ecosystem. Its habitat encompasses montane forests within the terrestrial topography of rocky cliffs and peaks of Mount Meru, Africa's firth highest peak (4566 metres (14,980.3 ft)) as part of the park, and with peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro
50 kilometres (31.1 mi) away, alpine deserts, Momela lakes, marshy lands, Pangani
system, Ngurdoto Crater
, rolling grassy hills and wooded savannah
. Most prominent floral species in these habitats are the Spanish moss
and giant lobelias. Wild animals reported in large numbers are the chimpanzee
and red-hot pokers. Water birds are also concentrated in large numbers in the lake areas and, in particular are the flamingos. The park is easily accessible (one hour drive from Arusha town) and the Kilimanjaro International Airport
is 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) away.
. It is drained by the Gombe River. The celebrated animals in the park are primates, mostly of chimpanzees, beach comber olive baboons, red-tailed monkey
s and red colobus monkeys. Jane Goodall
, the British researcher, started a study of wild chimpanzees in this park, in 1960. The study has reported 150 chimps, which are familiar with humans. The park has a rich bird life with 200 reported bird species; particular mention is made of the fish eagle
and Peter’s twin spots
. Access to the park is only through boats from Kibirizi.
Katavi National Park
spread over an area of 4471 square kilometres (1,726.3 sq mi) is Tanzania’s third largest national park, in the remote southwest of the country. Its geographic setting is in a truncated arm of the Great Rift Valley
that terminates in Lake Rukwa
. It is an integral part of the riverine and palustrine wetland ecosystem. The Katuma River and associated floodplains, Katavi Swamp system, marshy lakes and brachystegia
woodland are part of its habitat. Eland
, sable
and roan antelopes are found in large numbers, and its marshy lakes have a large population of hippos and crocodile
s. Elephant
s, buffalo
es, giraffe
, zebra
, impala
and reedbuck
are a common sight in the park.
As the name implies, Mount Kilimanjaro
gives its name to the park. It is the highest peak on the African continent at 5,895 m elevation and is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world near the coastal scrub land (900 metres (2,952.8 ft)) which virtually provides a "climatic world tour, from the tropics to the Arctic" vegetation recorded consists of thick Montana forests cultivated foot slopes, mosses and lichen, giant lobelias. The park, established in 1977, encompasses an area of 755 km2 and is within the riverine and palustrine ecosystem. Chala Crater Lake
is within park area. The park’s wild animals are elephants, leopards, buffaloes, the endangered Abbott's Duiker
(Cephalophus spadix also known as Minde in Swahili
), and other small antelopes and primates. There is hardly any game viewing in this park. However, it is popular for mountaineering expeditions to climb the snow clad peaks, the twin peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi
(Volcanic cones) and to witness the Afro-montane moorland habitat. It is one of the most visited parks in Tanzania. The nearest town to the park is Moshi
, which is 128 square kilometres (49.4 sq mi) from Arusha.
is Tanzania’s newest national park. It has an area of 442 square kilometres (170.7 sq mi) in the Kitulo Plateau – local name 'Bustani ya Mungu' meaning "The Garden of God" – in Southern Tanzania. The montane grassland with rich water resources is at an elevation of about 2600 metres (8,530.2 ft). It is hemmed between the rugged peaks of the Kipengere, Poroto and Livingstone Mountains
and has volcanic soils, and is drained by the Ruaha River. Botanists have termed the floral richness of the park as "Serengeti of Flowers"; 350 species of vascular plants, including 45 varieties of terrestrial orchids form its rich botanical treasure. Apart from the orchids, other species of flora reported are; yellow-orange red-hot Poker
, a number of aloes
, proteas, geraniums, giant lobelias, lilies and aster daisies
; 30 species of aster daisies are endemic to southern Tanzania. In view of its rich floral abundance, the park is a gazetted area. Wild animals are few and mostly mountain reedbuck and eland. Bird life is also very widely watched by ornithologists and consists mainly of Denham’s bustard, endangered Blue Swallow
, mountain marsh widow
, Njombe cisticola
and Kipengere Seedeater
. Other endemic species of wild life consist of butterflies, chameleons, lizards and frogs. The park’s headquarters is located at Matamba inside the park, which is 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) from Mbeya town
.
, next to the Gombe Stream National Park is set on the shores of the Lake Tanganyika
with a watershed comprising richly forested Mahale Mountains
with its peaks as high as 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) above the lake shore. Nkungwe peak (2460 metres (8,070.9 ft)) is the park’s largest mountain in the Mahale range which is venerated by the local Tongwe people. Vegetation consists of high grassy ridges spread with alpine bamboo
. Located in a remote and not easily approachable area, the park is spread over an area of 1613 square kilometres (622.8 sq mi). Among the wild animals found here, chimpanzees are a star attraction with a reported population of about 800. Other primates found in large numbers are the red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkey. The unpolluted clear water lake, the second deepest lake in Tanzania, has as many as 1,000 fish species.
Lake Manyara National Park
, which encompasses an area of 330 square kilometres (127.4 sq mi) includes 200 square kilometres (77.2 sq mi) (at high water stage) of Lake Manyara
, an alkaline lake, below the 600 metres (1,968.5 ft) high rift valley; Ernest Hemingway
called this lake “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”. The geography of the park is seen formed by the serrated blue volcanic peaks that rise from the extensive Maasai steppes. It lies within the riverine and palustrine wetland ecosystem. Vegetation in the park consists of wild ground water forests, grassy plains, ancient forests of mahogany trees
and acacia woodland
. Wild animals seen are troops of baboons, blue monkeys, bushbuck
, giraffes, tree climbing lions, squadrons of banded mongoose
, Kirk's Dik-dik
and pairs of klipspringer
. Elephants, which were nearing extinction in 1980s due to poaching, have been well conserved now. Bird life of 400 species are recorded in the park and on any given day at least 100 of them could be sighted – large number of pink-hued flamingoes, water birds such as pelican
s, cormorant
s and stork
s. The entry gate to the park is 126 kilometres (78.3 mi), west of Arusha from Mto wa Mbu
, an ethnic town. The park is also connected by charter or scheduled flights from Arusha via Serengeti
and Ngorongoro Crater. Recent activities in the park relate to "canoeing, mountain biking, walking and abseiling
" It is located between Lake Victoria and the Arusha-Dodoma Road.
Mikumi National Park
covers an area of 3230 square kilometres (1,247.1 sq mi) (the fourth largest park in the country) in a 75000 square kilometres (28,957.7 sq mi) tract of wilderness that extends east, close to the Indian Ocean
. It borders in the north with the Selous Game Reserve
, which is the largest such reserve in Africa. The habitat has the Mkata floodplain, extensive grass plains with the Mkata River flowing through the park and the miombo
-covered foothills of the mountains. It lies within the riverine and palustrine wetland ecosystem. Acacia tree plantations are extensive. Animal life consists of herd of zebras, lions in the grassy vastness, wildebeest, impala, buffalo herds, giraffes, elands, kudu, sable and hippos in water ponds (5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of the main entrance gate). Antelope, and elephants are also seen. Bird species recorded are 400, which includes lilac-breasted roller
, yellow-throated longclaw
and bateleur eagle. It is connected by a 283 kilometres (175.8 mi) road with Dar es Salaam
, via Selous Reserve, Ruaha
, Udzungwa and Katavi.
is a large area 10300 square kilometres (3,976.9 sq mi). It is Tanzania’s second largest park of rugged, semi-arid bush country, typical of central Tanzania. The Ruaha River flows through the park and gets flooded during the rainy season, otherwise remaining an ephemeral stream with ponds, sand and rocky river bed and banks. It lies within riverine and palustrine wetland ecosystem. Open grasslands, the acacia savannah and the Usangu plains abound in the park. There are reportedly 10,000 elephants, zebras, giraffes, impala, waterbuck and other antelopes, cheetahs, striped and spotted hyena
, sable and roan antelope sable and roan antelope, greater kudu
with corkscrew horns (which is the park’s emblem) in the park. Of the reported 450 bird species, notable ones are the crested barbet
(yellow-and-black bird), endemics such as the Yellow-collared Lovebird and ashy starling
. It is located 128 km west of Iringa
. (p 20-21)
is an island park with an area of 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi). It is located in northwest Tanzania, 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) west of Mwanza
. It includes nine smaller islands. It is in the lacustrine wetland ecosystem on the shores of the Lake Victoria
. Known as a "water wonderland", it is fish breeding ground; tilapia
, yellow-spotted otters and Nile perch
(as heavy as 100 kilograms (220.5 lb)) are some of the special species.
Humid forests (about 90%) dominate the park habitat while the remaining area consist of open grassland and lakeside papyrus beds. The virgin forests of the islands have large number of tree species of tamarinds, Wild Palms
, Sycamore figs, papyrus swamps
, the lake shore forests.
Mammal species abound in this remote and not easily accessible park and consist of indigenous species of hippos, vervet monkey
s, genets
and mongooses, which coexist with introduced species of chimpanzee, black-and-white colobus, elephant and giraffe, bushbucks, shaggy-coated aquatic sitatunga
. Fish eagles are seen near the bay and so also crocodiles.
, a game reserve since 1960s, was declared a national park in 2002, covers an area of 1062 square kilometres (410 sq mi) including the former Mkwaja ranch area, the Wami River
and the Zaraninge forest. It is the only park in East Africa
with an Indian Ocean beachfront. It is Tanzania's 13th National Park. Animals are seen basking along the Indian Ocean shores. Before it was declared a national park it was maintained by the World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF) with the objective to preserve the last coastal rainforest
in the country. It was also run as a cattle ranch between 1952 and 2000. A zoological garden was also established as part of the park. Hunting lodges had also been established on the coastal front of the park, which catered to the celebrities who came here for hunting game and to be away from the busy life in Dare es Salam.
The climate in this sea coast fronted park is hot and humid. Marine and mainland flora and fauna reported in the park are of 30 species of large mammals, reptiles and birds; elephants, black and white colobus monkeys and Roosevelt sable antelope
are some of the terrestrial species, while the marine or coastal species noted are many species of fish, Green turtles which breed on the beaches, dolphins (pomboo) and Humpback whales (nyangumi).
is the oldest and most popular national park which was established in—with an area of 14763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi). The habitat, bounded by Kenya
and bordered by Lake Victoria
on the west, is characterized by plains, savannah, wooded hills and large termite mounds, rivers and acacia woodlands. The spectacular wildlife witnessed in the park is of a million wildebeest seen in 40 square kilometres (15.4 sq mi) long columns migrating across the rivers to the north, over a distance of 1000 square kilometres (386.1 sq mi), after spending three weeks of mating and giving birth to 8,000 calves daily. This migration and life cycle creation is an annual feature witnessed in the park. This migration is in unison with 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle
in search of grazing pastures, aptly described as "six million hooves pound the open plains". Other mammals seen here in buffaloes, elephants, giraffe, large number of elands, topi
s, kongonis, impalas and Grant’s gazelles. The predators inhabiting the park are golden-maned lion
prides, leopards, African jackal, spotted hyena
and Serval cat
. Reptiles seen are Agama lizards
and rock hyraxes. Bird species recorded are more than 500, which include ostrich
and secretary bird
. 100 varieties of dung beetle
are also reported.
Tarangire National Park
is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania named after the Tarangire River which flows through the park and is a perennial river that assures water to both humans and animals even during the dry period. It has an area of 2850 square kilometres (1,100.4 sq mi) to the south east of Lake Manyara
. Mammals in the park are a number of elephants and migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest
and eland. Predators seen are the tree climbing lions and leopards. The most common reptile seen is African pythons climbing the baobab trees
. The park has 550 breeding species of birds stated to be the largest number in any park in the world; Kori bustard
(heaviest flying bird), the stocking-thighed ostrich (world's largest bird), ground hornbills, yellow-collared lovebird, rufous-tailed weaver and ashy starling which are endemic to savanna habitat are seen in the park. Termite mounds, dwarf mongoose and pairs of red-and-yellow barbets are a common sight in the park. It is accessed by road from the southwest of Arusha over a distance of 18 kilometres (11.2 mi). Airlinks are also available from airports at Arusha and the Serengeti.
is part of the Eastern Arc Mountains
(with an area of 10000 square kilometres (3,861 sq mi) comprising mountain ranges from Taita Hills in Southern Kenya to the Makambako Gap in South central Tanzania) or the African Galapagos, extends over an area of 1990 square kilometres (768.3 sq mi) with hill ranging in elevation between 250 metres (820.2 ft) in the Park and 2576 metres (8,451.4 ft) of Lohomero peak (highest in the park). The park's habitat covers tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo
woodland, grassland and steppe. The park has the distinction of holding 30–40 percent of plants and animal species of Tanzania. More than 400 bird species, 2500 plant species (25% of which are endemics) and 6 primate species are reported from the park. It has the second largest biodiversity of a national park with in Africa. It is included in the list of 34 "World Biodiversity Hotspot". It is also listed as one of the 200 WWF Eco regions of global critical importance. Six primate species have been recorded, five of which are endemic. The Iringa Red Colobus and Sanje Crested Mangabey are only found in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, the mangabey
species was undetected by biologists prior to 1979.
The floral diversity of wildlife in Tanzania in its national parks and game reserves is very rich as reflected from the fact that there are 11,000 plant species, particularly in woodland, montane and coastal habitats. In addition, there are 20 Biodiversity hotspots in the Eastern Arc Mountains
; these biodiversity hotpots encompass a wide range of habitats starting with the mangrove forests in the coastal region, many "types of wetlands, floodplains, tropical forests, grass plains, savannah woodlands, lakes and rivers." On the coast and islands there are coconut palms, bana plants and cashwew trees.
In addition, there are three main types of forest represented in the country, which are Zanzibar-Inhambane lowland rain forest, Zanzibar-Inhambane transitional rain forest, and Zanzibar-Inhambane undifferentiated forest. Moist forests of Tanzania's Afromontane Region occur on its Eastern Arc mountains, on the volcanic mountains of Hanang, Kilimanjaro, Meru, and Rungwe, and the southwestern mountains of Mahali and Mbizi. The lush forests situated in the highlands and eastern coast of Tanzania are rich in endemic species with the Eastern Arc forests containing some 25–30% endemic species out of the estimated 2,000 plant species that occur there. Bamboo
and giant groundsel
s reaching up to 18 feet (6 metres) grow in the mountains regions. Some of the plant species in the Eastern Arc Range are unique to Tanzania, such as the African violet (Saintpaulia
), local name Usambara, and Impatiens
, which are used widely as house plants. Baobab
studded landscape is widespread in Tarangire National Park. Miombo
(means "moist" woodland) vegetation consisting of several species of Brachystegia
tree is spread sparsely throughout the interior of the country, except in hilly regions. Yellowwood, Cedar and thorny Acacia trees are common. Grass lands form the dominant vegetation in the Serengeti plains
, while savanna, bushland and thickets cover the central Tanzanian plateau. Wild flowers are found growing profusely in the Kitulo Botanical Garden
in Kitulo National Park
and Amani Nature Reserve
. The Kutali Botanical Garden, known locally as "Bustani ya Mungu" meaning "God's Garden" or the Serengeti of Flowers, is a storehouse of orchids and wild flowers (350 species of vascular plants reported); the flowers are in full bloom during October to April making the ground carpet shimmering in a display of attractive colours. Zanzibar is noted for its spice plants, especially cloves.
Plants are very important to the Tanzanians for curing ailments. A 1989 survey of five villages in the East Usambara Mountains revealed that traditional doctors used 185 plants to treat 63 difference ferent diseases and conditions. A 1980 study of a village in the West Usambara Mountains revealed that 93 species of plants were used to treat 22 ailments such a pain, sores, parasites, coughs, eye infections and intestinal disorders. These plants include species of the families of Acanthaceae
, Amaranthaceae
, Anacardiaceae
, Annonaceae
, Apocynaceae
, Bignoniaceae
, Boraginaceae
, Capparidaceae, Combretaceae
, Compositae, Euphorbiaceae
, Labitae, Legiminosae, Rhamnaceae
, Sapindaceae
, Sterculiaceeae and Vitaceae
. Many villagers also cultivate plants domestically for the specific purposes of curing ailments.
The faunal diversity of wild life in Tanzania in its national parks and game reserves is also dramatic. There are 310 mammal species (fourth largest in Africa); 960 species of birds (third place in Africa); and many amphibians and reptiles, which are stated to form the fourth largest population in Africa. The Endangered fauna species are; the black rhino; Uluguru Bushshrike
s; hawksbill, green turtles, olive ridley turtle and leatherback turtles; red colobus monkeys; wild dog
s; and Pemba flying foxes
. However, Lonely Planet
also mentions a figure of 430 species of four million animals, and 60,000 insect species, 100 species of snakes and 25 species of reptiles, 1000 species of birds. More details of fauna species as reported by the Museum of Zoology of the University of Michigan
, Bucknell University
, Avibase data profiles and Birdlife International
data profiles are the following. In the East Usambara Mountains
, the forests display many rare species, so much so that the fauna found here have been compared to the Galapagos Islands
in terms of biological importance.
Mammals
Three hundred species of mammals have been reported in Tanzania. Some of the species reported are: African bush elephant
(Loxodonta africana), Burchell's zebra
(Equus burchellii), Thomson's gazelle
(Eudorcas thomsonii), hartebeest
(Alcelaphus buselaphus), woodland dormouse
(Graphiurus murinus), kipunji
(Rungwecebus kipunji), Thomas's bushbaby
(Galago thomasi), Prince Demidoff's bushbaby
(Galago demidoff), puku
(Kobus vardonii), gerenuk
(Litocranius walleri), common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel
(Idiurus zenkeri), suni
(Neotragus moschatus), mbarapi
(Hippotragus niger) and North African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata).
Predators
A few predators species are: lion
(Panthera leo), spotted hyena
(Crocuta crocuta), black-backed jackal
(Canis mesomelas) and serval
(Leptailurus serval).
Primates
Some of the primate species reported are: chimpanzee
(Pan troglodytes), and baboons (Papio): anubis baboon (Papio anubis), yellow baboon
(Papio cynocephalus), and hamadryas baboon
(Papio hamadryas).
Birds
As of March 2004, according to the Avibase data base, the number of bird species in Tanzania were reported as 1112 species (according to Bird Life international it is 1128), 23 endemic species, 35 globally threatened species and 3 introduced species. The conservation status of Grey Crowned Crane
s found in wetland-grassland habitats of Eastern and Southern Africa
including Tanzania is listed as vulnerable
.
Endemic species
Endemic species are: Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus), Pemba Green Pigeon (Treron pembaensis), Pemba Scops-owl
(Otus pembaensis), Usambara Eagle-Owl
(Bubo vosseleri), Beesley's Lark (Chersomanes beesleyi), Mrs. Moreau's Warbler (Scepomycter winifredae), Usambara Hyliota
(Hyliota usambarae), Usambara Akalat
(Sheppardia montana), Iringa Akalat
(Sheppardia lowei), Rubeho Akalat
(Sheppardia aurantiithorax), Banded Sunbird
(Anthreptes rubritorques), Moreau's Sunbird
(Nectarinia moreaui), Rufous-winged Sunbird
(Nectarinia rufipennis), Tanzania Seedeater
(Serinus melanochrous), Rufous-tailed Weaver
(Histurgops ruficauda), Kilombero Weaver
(Ploceus burnieri), Tanganyika Masked-Weaver (Ploceus reichardi) and Usambara Weaver
(Ploceus nicolli).
Introduced species
Introduced species
are: Rock Pigeon
(Columba livia) and House Crow
(Corvus splendens).
Poaching and anthropological pressure to meet the huge demand of wildlife meat has been a major problem in Tanzania with reported removal of 160,000 to 200,000 animals annually in the 1990s. The Government of Tanzania, in collaboration with international aid agencies, has made serious efforts to contain this problem through wildlife law enactment and enforcement, and finding solutions to the conflict between wild life conservation and the needs of rural communities dependent on these resources. Anti-poaching operations have been conducted on several occasions and game-viewing tourism has been a success in the easily accessible northern wildlife area of the country. Trophy hunting
has also provided some respite to the problem and this has helped in generating revenue, generally in the northern, southern and western wildlife areas.
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...
refers to the flora and fauna of 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...
. Tanzania contains some 20 percent of the species of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
’s large mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
population, found across its 14 national parks, reserves, conservation areas and marine parks, spread over an area of more than 42000 square kilometres (16,216.3 sq mi) and forming more than one-third of the country's territory. Wildlife resources of Tanzania are described as "without parallel in Africa" and "the prime game viewing country". Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in Serengeti area, Tanzania. It is most famous for its annual migration of over one and a half million white bearded wildebeest and 250,000 zebra...
, the largest declared park area of 14763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi), is located in northern Tanzania and is famous for its extensive migratory herds of wildebeests and zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
while also having the reputation as one of the great natural wonders of the world. Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a conservation area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. The conservation area is administered by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, an arm of the Tanzanian government, and its boundaries...
, established in 1959 with an area of 8094.4 square kilometres (3,125.3 sq mi), listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is inhabited by the Masai. Its Ngorongoro Crater is known as the "largest intact caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
in the world".
The national parks are also part of the wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s of Tanzania. The wild animals tend to be closer to the wetlands, particularly the water loving species such as the hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
, waterbuck
Waterbuck
The Waterbuck is a large antelope found widely in Sub-Saharan Africa.Waterbuck stand at the shoulder. Males weigh and females . Their coats are reddish brown in colour and become progressively darker with age; they have a white 'bib' under their throats and white on their rumps...
, warthog
Warthog
The Warthog or Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P...
, elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
, crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
, sitatunga
Sitatunga
The situtunga or marshbuck is a swamp-dwelling antelope found throughout Central Africa, centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and parts of Southern Sudan as well as in Ghana, Botswana, Zambia, Gabon, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.-Description:Situtunga stand about one and a...
as well as water bird
Water bird
The term water bird or waterbird is used to refer to birds that live on or around water. Some definitions apply the term especially to birds in freshwater habitats, though others make no distinction from birds that inhabit marine environments. In addition, some water birds are more terrestrial or...
s such as flamingoes and ducks.
Background
From the days of the colonial era and even after Tanzania became an independent nation, wildlife conservation has remained the prerogative of the government. Under this structure, the use of the wildlife resources by the community has always been restrictive, more of exclusion from the reserved parks and game sanctuaries which account for about 26% of the land area of Tanzania. This restriction had caused increase of rural poverty levels which resulted in extensive poachingPoaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
. However, in recent years, corrective actions have been initiated by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) to involve the local community in conservation efforts, which is aimed at contribution to local economies by way of equitable benefits sharing.
Nile perch
The Nile perch is a species of freshwaterfish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. It is widespread throughout muchof the Afrotropic ecozone, being native to the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger, and Lake Chad, Volta, Lake Turkana and other river basins. It also occurs in the brackish waters of...
accounting for a major share of US$100 million.
National Parks
Tanzania’s wildlife, extolled as the "finest safari experiences and wildlife spectacles found anywhere on the planet", has 40 national parks and game reserves. There are 14 national parks covering a total area of 42235 square kilometres (16,307 sq mi). These parks are Arusha National ParkArusha National Park
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...
(137 square kilometres (52.9 sq mi)), Gombe Stream National Park (52 square kilometres (20.1 sq mi)), Katavi National Park
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 in area, which makes it the third largest National Park in Tanzania...
(4471 square kilometres (1,726.3 sq mi)), Mount 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....
(755 square kilometres (291.5 sq mi)), Kitulo National Park
Kitulo National Park
Kitulo National Park is a protected area of alpine grassland and montane forest in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The Park covers an area of , lying partly in Mbeya Region and partly in Iringa Region. The protected area includes the Kitulo Plateau and the adjoining Livingstone Forest...
(442 square kilometres (170.7 sq mi)), Mahale Mountains National Park
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...
(1613 square kilometres (622.8 sq mi)), Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park is a national park in Arusha Region, Tanzania. The majority of the land area of the park is a narrow strip running between the Gregory Rift wall to the west and Lake Manyara, an alkaline or soda-lake, to the east....
(330 square kilometres (127.4 sq mi)), Mikumi National Park
Mikumi National Park
The Mikumi National Park is a national park in Mikumi, near Morogoro, Tanzania. The park was established in 1964, currently covers an area of 3230 km² and is the fourth largest in the country. The park is crossed by Tanzania A-7 highway.-Territory:...
(3230 square kilometres (1,247.1 sq mi)), Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National Park is the largest national park in Tanzania. It covers an area of about 22,000 km². It is located in the middle of Tanzania about 130 km from Iringa...
(10300 square kilometres (3,976.9 sq mi)), Rubondo Island National Park
Rubondo Island National Park
Rubondo Island National park is Tanzania’s only park on Lake Victoria. The island attracts a small number of visitors each year, mainly game fishermen and bird enthusiasts.-Geography:...
(240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi)), Saadani National Park
Saadani National Park
Saadani National Park is Tanzania's 13th National Park. Tourists can view animals basking along the Indian Ocean shores. It has an area of 1100 km2 and was established in 2005 from an a game reserve which had existed from 1969...
(1062 square kilometres (410 sq mi)), Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in Serengeti area, Tanzania. It is most famous for its annual migration of over one and a half million white bearded wildebeest and 250,000 zebra...
(14763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi)), Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is a national park in Tanzania.Tarangire National Park is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania after Ruaha, Serengeti, Mikumi, Katavi and Mkomazi. The name of the park originates from the Tarangire river that crosses through the park, being the only source of water...
(2850 square kilometres (1,100.4 sq mi)) and Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a national park in Tanzania. The habitats contained within the national park include tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland and steppe. There is a vertical height range of 250–2,576 metres , which incorporates the Udzunga Mountains part...
(1990 square kilometres (768.3 sq mi). Apart from the national parks, a very notable wildlife area in Tanzania is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a conservation area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. The conservation area is administered by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, an arm of the Tanzanian government, and its boundaries...
which was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1959. The criteria cited for this recognition are for its uniqueness in revealing sequence of crucial evidence related to human evolution, the striking landscape of Ngorongoro Crater (the largest unbroken caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
in the world) combined with its large concentration of wildlife, overlying ecosystems and its wildlife population of more than 25,000 ungulates.
Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park
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...
, termed the "safari capital" of Northern Tanzania with the Arusha town
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...
located within its precincts, is spread over an area of 137 square kilometres (52.9 sq mi). It is within the riverine, lacustrine
Lacustrine plain
Some lakes get filled up by the sediments brought down by the rivers and turn into plains in the course of time. Such plains are called lacustrine plains...
and palustrine
Palustrine
Palustrine comes from the Latin word palus or marsh. Wetlands within this category include inland marshes and swamps as well as bogs, fens, tundra and floodplains...
wetland ecosystem. Its habitat encompasses montane forests within the terrestrial topography of rocky cliffs and peaks of Mount Meru, Africa's firth highest peak (4566 metres (14,980.3 ft)) as part of the park, and with peaks of 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:...
50 kilometres (31.1 mi) away, alpine deserts, Momela lakes, marshy lands, Pangani
Pangani
Pangani is one of the eight districts of Tanga Region in Tanzania. It is bordered to the North by the Muheza District, to the East by the Indian Ocean, to the South by the Pwani Region and to the West by the Handeni District.The center is Pangani....
system, 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....
, rolling grassy hills and wooded savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
. Most prominent floral species in these habitats are the Spanish moss
Spanish Moss
Spanish moss is a flowering plant that grows upon larger trees, commonly the Southern Live Oak or Bald Cypress in the southeastern United States....
and giant lobelias. Wild animals reported in large numbers are the chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
and red-hot pokers. Water birds are also concentrated in large numbers in the lake areas and, in particular are the flamingos. The park is easily accessible (one hour drive from Arusha town) and the 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...
is 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) away.
Gombe National Park
The smallest of all of Tanzania's national parks is Gombe Stream National Park, covering an area of 52 square kilometres (20.1 sq mi) only. Its natural topography consists of steep hill slopes, river valleys and the sandy northern shores of Lake TanganyikaLake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
. It is drained by the Gombe River. The celebrated animals in the park are primates, mostly of chimpanzees, beach comber olive baboons, red-tailed monkey
Red-tailed Monkey
The red-tailed monkey, black-cheeked white-nosed monkey, red-tailed guenon, redtail monkey, or Schmidt's guenon is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania,...
s and red colobus monkeys. Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
, the British researcher, started a study of wild chimpanzees in this park, in 1960. The study has reported 150 chimps, which are familiar with humans. The park has a rich bird life with 200 reported bird species; particular mention is made of the fish eagle
African Fish Eagle
The African Fish Eagle or – to distinguish it from the true fish eagles , the African Sea Eagle – is a large species of eagle that is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. As a result of its large range, it is known in many...
and Peter’s twin spots
Twin-spot Fritillary
The Twin-spot Fritillary, Brenthis hecate is a butterfly in the family NymphalidaeIt is found in South-West Europe, South Russia, Asia Minor, Iran and Central Asia.The larva feeds on Filipendula ulmaria and Dorycnium.-External links:*...
. Access to the park is only through boats from Kibirizi.
Katavi National Park
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 in area, which makes it the third largest National Park in Tanzania...
spread over an area of 4471 square kilometres (1,726.3 sq mi) is Tanzania’s third largest national park, in the remote southwest of the country. Its geographic setting is in a truncated arm of the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
that terminates in Lake Rukwa
Lake Rukwa
Lake Rukwa is a lake in southwestern Tanzania. The alkaline Lake Rukwa lies midway between Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa at an elevation of about 800 metres, in a parallel branch of the rift system. The lake has seen large fluctuations in its size over the years, due to varying inflow of streams...
. It is an integral part of the riverine and palustrine wetland ecosystem. The Katuma River and associated floodplains, Katavi Swamp system, marshy lakes and brachystegia
Brachystegia
Brachystegia is a genus of tree of the sub-family Caesalpinioideae that is native to tropical Africa. Trees of the genus are commonly known as Miombo, and are the predominant tree in the Miombo woodlands of central and southern Africa.-Species:...
woodland are part of its habitat. Eland
Common Eland
The common eland , also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is the largest antelope in the African continent...
, sable
Sable
The sable is a species of marten which inhabits forest environments, primarily in Russia from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, in northern Mongolia and China and on Hokkaidō in Japan. Its range in the wild originally extended through European Russia to Poland and Scandinavia...
and roan antelopes are found in large numbers, and its marshy lakes have a large population of hippos and crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s. Elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s, buffalo
African Buffalo
The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear...
es, giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
, zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
, impala
Impala
An impala is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language meaning "gazelle"...
and reedbuck
Reedbuck
Reedbuck is a common name for African antelopes from the genus Redunca. These species are:* Southern Reedbuck, Redunca arundinum* Mountain Reedbuck, Redunca fulvorufula* Bohor Reedbuck, Redunca redunca...
are a common sight in the park.
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
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:...
gives its name to the park. It is the highest peak on the African continent at 5,895 m elevation and is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world near the coastal scrub land (900 metres (2,952.8 ft)) which virtually provides a "climatic world tour, from the tropics to the Arctic" vegetation recorded consists of thick Montana forests cultivated foot slopes, mosses and lichen, giant lobelias. The park, established in 1977, encompasses an area of 755 km2 and is within the riverine and palustrine ecosystem. Chala Crater Lake
Lake Chala
Lake Chala is a crater lake in a caldera on the borders of Tanzania and Kenya on the eastern edge of Mount Kilimanjaro, not far from the town of Moshi and 8 km north of Taveta. Depending on the time of year, it ranges in colour from deep blue to turquoise and green, it is surrounded by a 100...
is within park area. The park’s wild animals are elephants, leopards, buffaloes, the endangered Abbott's Duiker
Abbott's Duiker
Abbott's Duiker is a large forest dwelling Duiker found only in a couple of scattered enclaves in Tanzania. It is believed by some to be a subspecies of the Yellow-backed Duiker...
(Cephalophus spadix also known as Minde in Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
), and other small antelopes and primates. There is hardly any game viewing in this park. However, it is popular for mountaineering expeditions to climb the snow clad peaks, the twin peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi
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:...
(Volcanic cones) and to witness the Afro-montane moorland habitat. It is one of the most visited parks in Tanzania. The nearest town to the park is 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....
, which is 128 square kilometres (49.4 sq mi) from Arusha.
Kitulo National Park
Kitulo National ParkKitulo National Park
Kitulo National Park is a protected area of alpine grassland and montane forest in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The Park covers an area of , lying partly in Mbeya Region and partly in Iringa Region. The protected area includes the Kitulo Plateau and the adjoining Livingstone Forest...
is Tanzania’s newest national park. It has an area of 442 square kilometres (170.7 sq mi) in the Kitulo Plateau – local name 'Bustani ya Mungu' meaning "The Garden of God" – in Southern Tanzania. The montane grassland with rich water resources is at an elevation of about 2600 metres (8,530.2 ft). It is hemmed between the rugged peaks of the Kipengere, Poroto and Livingstone Mountains
Livingstone Mountains
The Kipengere Range, also known as the Livingstone Mountains, lies in southwest Tanzania at the northern end of Lake Malawi. From the town of Mbeya the range runs south-east and forms part of the eastern escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, extending about 100 km down the north-eastern shore...
and has volcanic soils, and is drained by the Ruaha River. Botanists have termed the floral richness of the park as "Serengeti of Flowers"; 350 species of vascular plants, including 45 varieties of terrestrial orchids form its rich botanical treasure. Apart from the orchids, other species of flora reported are; yellow-orange red-hot Poker
Kniphofia uvaria
Kniphofia uvaria is also known as Tritoma, Torch Lily or Red Hot Poker due to the shape and color of its inflorescence. The leaves are reminiscent of a lily, and the flowerhead can reach up to 5 feet in height. There are many varieties of torch lily, and they bloom at different times during the...
, a number of aloes
Aloes
Aloe may refer:*Aloe, a genus of succulent plants, which includes several species:**Aloe arborescens**Aloe aristata**Aloe camperi**Aloe dichotoma**Aloe ngobitensis**Aloe vera**Aloe wildii*Aloe Ridge Game Reserve, in Gauteng, South Africa...
, proteas, geraniums, giant lobelias, lilies and aster daisies
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
; 30 species of aster daisies are endemic to southern Tanzania. In view of its rich floral abundance, the park is a gazetted area. Wild animals are few and mostly mountain reedbuck and eland. Bird life is also very widely watched by ornithologists and consists mainly of Denham’s bustard, endangered Blue Swallow
Blue Swallow
Blue Swallow is a 2005 South Korean film based on the true story of Park Kyung-won, an early Korean female pilot. The film became controversial when Park's alleged pro-Japanese activities came to light...
, mountain marsh widow
Buff-shouldered Widowbird
The Montane Widowbird , also known as the Mountain Marsh Widowbird is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is an endemic resident of the eastern afro-mountain grassland . Like all widowbirds the difference between male and female appearance is prominent during breeding season...
, Njombe cisticola
Churring Cisticola
The Churring Cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.-References:...
and Kipengere Seedeater
Kipengere Seedeater
The Kipengere Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found only in Tanzania.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland....
. Other endemic species of wild life consist of butterflies, chameleons, lizards and frogs. The park’s headquarters is located at Matamba inside the park, which is 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) from Mbeya town
Mbeya
Mbeya is a city located in southwest Tanzania, Africa. Mbeya's urban population was 280,000 in 2005. Mbeya is the capital of the surrounding rural Mbeya region ....
.
Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale Mountains National ParkMahale 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...
, next to the Gombe Stream National Park is set on the shores of the Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
with a watershed comprising richly forested Mahale Mountains
Mahale Mountains
The Mahale Mountains are a mountain range in western Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. They rise to 2,462 m at Mount Nkungwe and are protected by the Mahale Mountains National Park, being known for wildlife including chimpanzees and lions....
with its peaks as high as 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) above the lake shore. Nkungwe peak (2460 metres (8,070.9 ft)) is the park’s largest mountain in the Mahale range which is venerated by the local Tongwe people. Vegetation consists of high grassy ridges spread with alpine bamboo
Yushania alpina
Yushania alpina or African alpine bamboo, a perennialbamboo of the family Poaceae and the genus Yushaniaor the genus Sinarundinariabut not of the genus Chimonocalamus...
. Located in a remote and not easily approachable area, the park is spread over an area of 1613 square kilometres (622.8 sq mi). Among the wild animals found here, chimpanzees are a star attraction with a reported population of about 800. Other primates found in large numbers are the red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkey. The unpolluted clear water lake, the second deepest lake in Tanzania, has as many as 1,000 fish species.
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park is a national park in Arusha Region, Tanzania. The majority of the land area of the park is a narrow strip running between the Gregory Rift wall to the west and Lake Manyara, an alkaline or soda-lake, to the east....
, which encompasses an area of 330 square kilometres (127.4 sq mi) includes 200 square kilometres (77.2 sq mi) (at high water stage) of Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara is a shallow lake in the Natron-Manyara-Balangida branch of the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania. Said by Ernest Hemingway to be the "loveliest [lake] .....
, an alkaline lake, below the 600 metres (1,968.5 ft) high rift valley; Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
called this lake “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”. The geography of the park is seen formed by the serrated blue volcanic peaks that rise from the extensive Maasai steppes. It lies within the riverine and palustrine wetland ecosystem. Vegetation in the park consists of wild ground water forests, grassy plains, ancient forests of mahogany trees
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
and acacia woodland
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
. Wild animals seen are troops of baboons, blue monkeys, bushbuck
Bushbuck
The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is found in rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics and bush savannaforest and woodland. Recently, genetic studies have shown that the bushbuck, is in fact a complex of two geographically and phenotypically...
, giraffes, tree climbing lions, squadrons of banded mongoose
Banded Mongoose
The Banded Mongoose is a mongoose commonly found in the central and eastern parts of Africa. It lives in savannas, open forests and grasslands and feeds primarily on beetles and millipedes. Mongooses use various types of dens for shelter including termite mounds...
, Kirk's Dik-dik
Kirk's Dik-dik
Kirk's Dik-dik is a small antelope found in eastern and southwestern Africa. It grows to in length and weighs up to when full grown. It has a reddish-brown head and a tail that is long....
and pairs of klipspringer
Klipspringer
The Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus, is a small species of African antelope.-Name:The word klipspringer literally means "rock jumper" in Afrikaans/Dutch...
. Elephants, which were nearing extinction in 1980s due to poaching, have been well conserved now. Bird life of 400 species are recorded in the park and on any given day at least 100 of them could be sighted – large number of pink-hued flamingoes, water birds such as pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s, cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s and stork
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
s. The entry gate to the park is 126 kilometres (78.3 mi), west of Arusha from Mto wa Mbu
Mto wa Mbu
Mto wa Mbu, is an administrative ward in the Monduli district of the Arusha Region of Tanzania. According to the 2002 census, the ward has a total population of 16,068. The name Mto wa Mbu means "River of Mosquitoes".-References:...
, an ethnic town. The park is also connected by charter or scheduled flights from Arusha via 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. Recent activities in the park relate to "canoeing, mountain biking, walking and abseiling
Abseiling
Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...
" It is located between Lake Victoria and the Arusha-Dodoma Road.
Mikumi National Park
Mikumi National Park
The Mikumi National Park is a national park in Mikumi, near Morogoro, Tanzania. The park was established in 1964, currently covers an area of 3230 km² and is the fourth largest in the country. The park is crossed by Tanzania A-7 highway.-Territory:...
covers an area of 3230 square kilometres (1,247.1 sq mi) (the fourth largest park in the country) in a 75000 square kilometres (28,957.7 sq mi) tract of wilderness that extends east, close to the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. It borders in the north with the Selous Game Reserve
Selous Game Reserve
The Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest faunal 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 at Beho Beho in this territory in 1917 while fighting against the Germans...
, which is the largest such reserve in Africa. The habitat has the Mkata floodplain, extensive grass plains with the Mkata River flowing through the park and the miombo
Miombo
Miombo is the Swahili word for Brachystegia, a genus of tree comprising a large number of species. Miombo woodland is classified in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome...
-covered foothills of the mountains. It lies within the riverine and palustrine wetland ecosystem. Acacia tree plantations are extensive. Animal life consists of herd of zebras, lions in the grassy vastness, wildebeest, impala, buffalo herds, giraffes, elands, kudu, sable and hippos in water ponds (5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of the main entrance gate). Antelope, and elephants are also seen. Bird species recorded are 400, which includes lilac-breasted roller
Lilac-breasted Roller
The Lilac-breasted Roller is a member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places...
, yellow-throated longclaw
Yellow-throated Longclaw
The Yellow-throated Longclaw is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,...
and bateleur eagle. It is connected by a 283 kilometres (175.8 mi) road with Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
, via Selous Reserve, Ruaha
Ruaha
Ruaha is an administrative ward in the Iringa Urban district of the Iringa Region of Tanzania. According to the 2002 census, the ward has a total population of 10,873....
, Udzungwa and Katavi.
Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National ParkRuaha National Park
Ruaha National Park is the largest national park in Tanzania. It covers an area of about 22,000 km². It is located in the middle of Tanzania about 130 km from Iringa...
is a large area 10300 square kilometres (3,976.9 sq mi). It is Tanzania’s second largest park of rugged, semi-arid bush country, typical of central Tanzania. The Ruaha River flows through the park and gets flooded during the rainy season, otherwise remaining an ephemeral stream with ponds, sand and rocky river bed and banks. It lies within riverine and palustrine wetland ecosystem. Open grasslands, the acacia savannah and the Usangu plains abound in the park. There are reportedly 10,000 elephants, zebras, giraffes, impala, waterbuck and other antelopes, cheetahs, striped and spotted hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
, sable and roan antelope sable and roan antelope, greater kudu
Greater Kudu
The Greater Kudu is a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas, due to a declining habitat, deforestation and hunting....
with corkscrew horns (which is the park’s emblem) in the park. Of the reported 450 bird species, notable ones are the crested barbet
Crested Barbet
The Crested Barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family.-Appearance:With its thick bill and very colourful plumage the Crested Barbet is unmistakable. This small bird has a speckled yellow and red face with a small black crest. The belly is yellow with red speckles, wings are black with...
(yellow-and-black bird), endemics such as the Yellow-collared Lovebird and ashy starling
Ashy Starling
The Ashy Starling is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family.It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 24 July 2007....
. It is located 128 km west of Iringa
Iringa
Iringa is a city in Tanzania with a population of 112,900 . It is situated at a latitude of 7.77°S and longitude of 35.69°E. The name is derived from the Hehe word lilinga, meaning fort....
. (p 20-21)
Rubondo Island National Park
Rubondo Island National ParkRubondo Island National Park
Rubondo Island National park is Tanzania’s only park on Lake Victoria. The island attracts a small number of visitors each year, mainly game fishermen and bird enthusiasts.-Geography:...
is an island park with an area of 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi). It is located in northwest Tanzania, 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) west of Mwanza
Mwanza
Mwanza is a mid-sized port city on the southern shores of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania. With an urban population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan population of 2 million, it is Tanzania's second largest city, following Dar es Salaam and ahead of other major Tanzanian cities of Arusha,...
. It includes nine smaller islands. It is in the lacustrine wetland ecosystem on the shores of the Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
. Known as a "water wonderland", it is fish breeding ground; tilapia
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
, yellow-spotted otters and Nile perch
Nile perch
The Nile perch is a species of freshwaterfish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. It is widespread throughout muchof the Afrotropic ecozone, being native to the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger, and Lake Chad, Volta, Lake Turkana and other river basins. It also occurs in the brackish waters of...
(as heavy as 100 kilograms (220.5 lb)) are some of the special species.
Humid forests (about 90%) dominate the park habitat while the remaining area consist of open grassland and lakeside papyrus beds. The virgin forests of the islands have large number of tree species of tamarinds, Wild Palms
Wild Palms
Wild Palms is a six-hour mini-series, which first aired in May 1993 on the ABC network in the United States. Written by Bruce Wagner, who was also the executive producer, Wild Palms was a sci-fi drama about the dangers of brainwashing through technology and drugs...
, Sycamore figs, papyrus swamps
Cyperus papyrus
Cyperus papyrus is a monocot belonging to the sedge family Cyperaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial native to Africa, and forms tall stands of reed-like swamp vegetation in shallow water....
, the lake shore forests.
Mammal species abound in this remote and not easily accessible park and consist of indigenous species of hippos, vervet monkey
Vervet Monkey
The vervet monkey , or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus....
s, genets
Genêts
Genêts is a commune in the Manche department in northwestern France. It was the port of the oppidum Ingena , the main settlement of the Abrincatui....
and mongooses, which coexist with introduced species of chimpanzee, black-and-white colobus, elephant and giraffe, bushbucks, shaggy-coated aquatic sitatunga
Sitatunga
The situtunga or marshbuck is a swamp-dwelling antelope found throughout Central Africa, centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and parts of Southern Sudan as well as in Ghana, Botswana, Zambia, Gabon, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.-Description:Situtunga stand about one and a...
. Fish eagles are seen near the bay and so also crocodiles.
Saadani National Park
Saadani National ParkSaadani National Park
Saadani National Park is Tanzania's 13th National Park. Tourists can view animals basking along the Indian Ocean shores. It has an area of 1100 km2 and was established in 2005 from an a game reserve which had existed from 1969...
, a game reserve since 1960s, was declared a national park in 2002, covers an area of 1062 square kilometres (410 sq mi) including the former Mkwaja ranch area, the Wami River
Wami River
The Wami River lies entirely within the African nation of Tanzania in the Pwani Region and Morogoro Region in eastern Tanzania. Its source is specified in the Kaguru Mountains and it flows East entering the Indian Ocean west of Zanzibar. But its catchment area extends from the Kinyasangwe River to...
and the Zaraninge forest. It is the only park in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
with an Indian Ocean beachfront. It is Tanzania's 13th National Park. Animals are seen basking along the Indian Ocean shores. Before it was declared a national park it was maintained by the World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
(WWF) with the objective to preserve the last coastal rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
in the country. It was also run as a cattle ranch between 1952 and 2000. A zoological garden was also established as part of the park. Hunting lodges had also been established on the coastal front of the park, which catered to the celebrities who came here for hunting game and to be away from the busy life in Dare es Salam.
The climate in this sea coast fronted park is hot and humid. Marine and mainland flora and fauna reported in the park are of 30 species of large mammals, reptiles and birds; elephants, black and white colobus monkeys and Roosevelt sable antelope
Sable Antelope
The Sable Antelope is an antelope which inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa.-Subspecies:There are four subspecies:* H. n. niger which is considered low risk conservation dependent...
are some of the terrestrial species, while the marine or coastal species noted are many species of fish, Green turtles which breed on the beaches, dolphins (pomboo) and Humpback whales (nyangumi).
Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National ParkSerengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in Serengeti area, Tanzania. It is most famous for its annual migration of over one and a half million white bearded wildebeest and 250,000 zebra...
is the oldest and most popular national park which was established in—with an area of 14763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi). The habitat, bounded by Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and bordered by Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
on the west, is characterized by plains, savannah, wooded hills and large termite mounds, rivers and acacia woodlands. The spectacular wildlife witnessed in the park is of a million wildebeest seen in 40 square kilometres (15.4 sq mi) long columns migrating across the rivers to the north, over a distance of 1000 square kilometres (386.1 sq mi), after spending three weeks of mating and giving birth to 8,000 calves daily. This migration and life cycle creation is an annual feature witnessed in the park. This migration is in unison with 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle
Thomson's Gazelle
The Thomson's gazelle is one of the best-known gazelles. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson and, as a result, is sometimes referred to as a "tommie"...
in search of grazing pastures, aptly described as "six million hooves pound the open plains". Other mammals seen here in buffaloes, elephants, giraffe, large number of elands, topi
Topi
The Tsessebe , is one of five subspecies in the binomial class D. lunatus. The other subspecies include Korrigum , Tiang , Coastal Topi , and Topi . Tesessebe are found primarily in Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa...
s, kongonis, impalas and Grant’s gazelles. The predators inhabiting the park are golden-maned lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
prides, leopards, African jackal, spotted hyena
Spotted Hyena
The spotted hyena also known as laughing hyena, is a carnivorous mammal of the family Hyaenidae, of which it is the largest extant member. Though the species' prehistoric range included Eurasia extending from Atlantic Europe to China, it now only occurs in all of Africa south of the Sahara save...
and Serval cat
Serval
The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...
. Reptiles seen are Agama lizards
Agamidae
Agamids, lizards of the family Agamidae, include more than 300 species in Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards. Phylogenetically they may be sister to the Iguanidae, and have a similar appearance. Agamids usually have...
and rock hyraxes. Bird species recorded are more than 500, which include ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
and secretary bird
Secretary Bird
The Secretarybird or Secretary Bird is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Sahara...
. 100 varieties of dung beetle
Dung beetle
Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. All of these species belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea; most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae. This beetle can also be referred to as the scarab beetle. As most species of...
are also reported.
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is a national park in Tanzania.Tarangire National Park is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania after Ruaha, Serengeti, Mikumi, Katavi and Mkomazi. The name of the park originates from the Tarangire river that crosses through the park, being the only source of water...
is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania named after the Tarangire River which flows through the park and is a perennial river that assures water to both humans and animals even during the dry period. It has an area of 2850 square kilometres (1,100.4 sq mi) to the south east of Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara is a shallow lake in the Natron-Manyara-Balangida branch of the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania. Said by Ernest Hemingway to be the "loveliest [lake] .....
. Mammals in the park are a number of elephants and migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest
Hartebeest
The hartebeest is a grassland antelope found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. It is one of the three species classified in the genus Alcelaphus....
and eland. Predators seen are the tree climbing lions and leopards. The most common reptile seen is African pythons climbing the baobab trees
Adansonia digitata
Adansonia digitata is the most widespread of the Adansonia species on the African continent, found in the hot, dry savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. It also grows, having spread secondary to cultivation, in populated areas...
. The park has 550 breeding species of birds stated to be the largest number in any park in the world; Kori bustard
Kori Bustard
The Kori Bustard is a large bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family. It may be the heaviest bird capable of flight....
(heaviest flying bird), the stocking-thighed ostrich (world's largest bird), ground hornbills, yellow-collared lovebird, rufous-tailed weaver and ashy starling which are endemic to savanna habitat are seen in the park. Termite mounds, dwarf mongoose and pairs of red-and-yellow barbets are a common sight in the park. It is accessed by road from the southwest of Arusha over a distance of 18 kilometres (11.2 mi). Airlinks are also available from airports at Arusha and the Serengeti.
Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Udzungwa Mountains National ParkUdzungwa Mountains National Park
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a national park in Tanzania. The habitats contained within the national park include tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland and steppe. There is a vertical height range of 250–2,576 metres , which incorporates the Udzunga Mountains part...
is part of the Eastern Arc Mountains
Eastern Arc Mountains
The Eastern Arc Mountains are a chain of mountains found in Kenya and Tanzania. It comprises:* Taita Hills* North and South Pare* East and West Usambara* North and South Nguru* Ukaguru* Uluguru Mountains* Rubeho* Udzungwa Mountains* Mahenge Escarpment...
(with an area of 10000 square kilometres (3,861 sq mi) comprising mountain ranges from Taita Hills in Southern Kenya to the Makambako Gap in South central Tanzania) or the African Galapagos, extends over an area of 1990 square kilometres (768.3 sq mi) with hill ranging in elevation between 250 metres (820.2 ft) in the Park and 2576 metres (8,451.4 ft) of Lohomero peak (highest in the park). The park's habitat covers tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo
Miombo
Miombo is the Swahili word for Brachystegia, a genus of tree comprising a large number of species. Miombo woodland is classified in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome...
woodland, grassland and steppe. The park has the distinction of holding 30–40 percent of plants and animal species of Tanzania. More than 400 bird species, 2500 plant species (25% of which are endemics) and 6 primate species are reported from the park. It has the second largest biodiversity of a national park with in Africa. It is included in the list of 34 "World Biodiversity Hotspot". It is also listed as one of the 200 WWF Eco regions of global critical importance. Six primate species have been recorded, five of which are endemic. The Iringa Red Colobus and Sanje Crested Mangabey are only found in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, the mangabey
Mangabey
The term mangabey can refer to three different genera of Old World monkeys. Lophocebus and Cercocebus were once thought to be very closely related, so much so that all the species were in one genus...
species was undetected by biologists prior to 1979.
Flora
Eastern Arc Mountains
The Eastern Arc Mountains are a chain of mountains found in Kenya and Tanzania. It comprises:* Taita Hills* North and South Pare* East and West Usambara* North and South Nguru* Ukaguru* Uluguru Mountains* Rubeho* Udzungwa Mountains* Mahenge Escarpment...
; these biodiversity hotpots encompass a wide range of habitats starting with the mangrove forests in the coastal region, many "types of wetlands, floodplains, tropical forests, grass plains, savannah woodlands, lakes and rivers." On the coast and islands there are coconut palms, bana plants and cashwew trees.
In addition, there are three main types of forest represented in the country, which are Zanzibar-Inhambane lowland rain forest, Zanzibar-Inhambane transitional rain forest, and Zanzibar-Inhambane undifferentiated forest. Moist forests of Tanzania's Afromontane Region occur on its Eastern Arc mountains, on the volcanic mountains of Hanang, Kilimanjaro, Meru, and Rungwe, and the southwestern mountains of Mahali and Mbizi. The lush forests situated in the highlands and eastern coast of Tanzania are rich in endemic species with the Eastern Arc forests containing some 25–30% endemic species out of the estimated 2,000 plant species that occur there. Bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
and giant groundsel
Groundsel
Senecio vulgaris, often known by the common name Common groundsel, a humble in appearance member of the Asteraceae family and Senecio genus, is a tenacious deciduous annual whose presence now encompasses the globe in a wide area of easy to somewhat difficult growing conditions.The discussion of...
s reaching up to 18 feet (6 metres) grow in the mountains regions. Some of the plant species in the Eastern Arc Range are unique to Tanzania, such as the African violet (Saintpaulia
Saintpaulia
Saintpaulia, commonly known as African violet, is a genus of six species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Tanzania and adjacent southeastern Kenya in eastern tropical Africa, with a concentration of species in the Nguru mountains of Tanzania...
), local name Usambara, and Impatiens
Impatiens
Impatiens is a genus of about 850–1,000 species of flowering plants, widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere and tropics. Together with the puzzling Hydrocera triflora, this genus makes up the family Balsaminaceae...
, which are used widely as house plants. Baobab
Baobab
Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island....
studded landscape is widespread in Tarangire National Park. Miombo
Miombo
Miombo is the Swahili word for Brachystegia, a genus of tree comprising a large number of species. Miombo woodland is classified in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome...
(means "moist" woodland) vegetation consisting of several species of Brachystegia
Brachystegia
Brachystegia is a genus of tree of the sub-family Caesalpinioideae that is native to tropical Africa. Trees of the genus are commonly known as Miombo, and are the predominant tree in the Miombo woodlands of central and southern Africa.-Species:...
tree is spread sparsely throughout the interior of the country, except in hilly regions. Yellowwood, Cedar and thorny Acacia trees are common. Grass lands form the dominant vegetation in the Serengeti plains
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in Serengeti area, Tanzania. It is most famous for its annual migration of over one and a half million white bearded wildebeest and 250,000 zebra...
, while savanna, bushland and thickets cover the central Tanzanian plateau. Wild flowers are found growing profusely in the Kitulo Botanical Garden
Kitulo National Park
Kitulo National Park is a protected area of alpine grassland and montane forest in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The Park covers an area of , lying partly in Mbeya Region and partly in Iringa Region. The protected area includes the Kitulo Plateau and the adjoining Livingstone Forest...
in Kitulo National Park
Kitulo National Park
Kitulo National Park is a protected area of alpine grassland and montane forest in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The Park covers an area of , lying partly in Mbeya Region and partly in Iringa Region. The protected area includes the Kitulo Plateau and the adjoining Livingstone Forest...
and Amani Nature Reserve
Amani Nature Reserve
Amani Nature Reserve is located in Tanga, Tanzania. It was established in 1997 in order to preserve the unique flora and fauna of the East Usambara Mountains....
. The Kutali Botanical Garden, known locally as "Bustani ya Mungu" meaning "God's Garden" or the Serengeti of Flowers, is a storehouse of orchids and wild flowers (350 species of vascular plants reported); the flowers are in full bloom during October to April making the ground carpet shimmering in a display of attractive colours. Zanzibar is noted for its spice plants, especially cloves.
Plants are very important to the Tanzanians for curing ailments. A 1989 survey of five villages in the East Usambara Mountains revealed that traditional doctors used 185 plants to treat 63 difference ferent diseases and conditions. A 1980 study of a village in the West Usambara Mountains revealed that 93 species of plants were used to treat 22 ailments such a pain, sores, parasites, coughs, eye infections and intestinal disorders. These plants include species of the families of Acanthaceae
Acanthaceae
The family Acanthaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species....
, Amaranthaceae
Amaranthaceae
The flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, the Amaranth family, contains about 176 genera and 2,400 species.- Description :Most of these species are herbs or subshrubs; very few are trees or climbers. Some species are succulent....
, Anacardiaceae
Anacardiaceae
Anacardiaceae are a family of flowering plants bearing fruits that are drupes and in some cases producing urushiol, an irritant. Anacardiaceae include numerous genera with several of economic importance. Notable plants in this family include cashew , mango, poison ivy, sumac, smoke tree, and marula...
, Annonaceae
Annonaceae
Annonaceae, also called the custard apple familyis a family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs or rarely lianas.With about 2300 to 2500 species and more than 130 genera,...
, Apocynaceae
Apocynaceae
The Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas.Many species are tall trees found in tropical rainforests, and most are from the tropics and subtropics, but some grow in tropical dry, xeric environments. There are also perennial herbs...
, Bignoniaceae
Bignoniaceae
The Bignoniaceae, or Trumpet Creeper Family, is a family of flowering plants comprising about 650-750 species in 116-120 genera. Members of the family are mostly trees and lianas , shrubs and more rarely herbaceous plants. As climber plants, they are twine climbers or tendril climbers, and rarely...
, Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
, Capparidaceae, Combretaceae
Combretaceae
Combretaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Myrtales. The family includes about 600 species of trees, shrubs, and lianas in 18 genera. The family includes the leadwood tree, Combretum imberbe. Three genera, Conocarpus, Laguncularia and Lumnitzera, grow in mangrove habitats ....
, Compositae, Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....
, Labitae, Legiminosae, Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae, the Buckthorn family, is a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs and some vines.The family contains 50-60 genera and approximately 870-900 species. The Rhamnaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are more common in the subtropical and tropical regions...
, Sapindaceae
Sapindaceae
Sapindaceae, also known as the soapberry family, is a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales. There are about 140-150 genera with 1400-2000 species, including maple, horse chestnut and lychee....
, Sterculiaceeae and Vitaceae
Vitaceae
Vitaceae are a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants including the grapevine and Virginia creeper. The family name is derived from the genus Vitis...
. Many villagers also cultivate plants domestically for the specific purposes of curing ailments.
Fauna
Uluguru Bushshrike
The Uluguru Bushshrike, Malaconotus alius, is a species of rare birds occurring only in the Uluguru Mountains in Tanzania. It was discovered in 1926 and was known to be confined to a single site in the Uluguru North Forest Reserve of about 84 km²...
s; hawksbill, green turtles, olive ridley turtle and leatherback turtles; red colobus monkeys; wild dog
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf...
s; and Pemba flying foxes
Pemba Flying Fox
The Pemba Flying Fox is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to the island of Pemba in Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. It is threatened by habitat loss...
. However, Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
also mentions a figure of 430 species of four million animals, and 60,000 insect species, 100 species of snakes and 25 species of reptiles, 1000 species of birds. More details of fauna species as reported by the Museum of Zoology of the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Bucknell University
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
, Avibase data profiles and Birdlife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
data profiles are the following. In the East Usambara Mountains
Usambara Mountains
The Usambara Mountains are a mountain range in North-East Tanzania, approximately long and ranging from 20 to in width. Mountains in the range rise as high as 8,000 ft ....
, the forests display many rare species, so much so that the fauna found here have been compared to the Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
in terms of biological importance.
Mammals
African Bush Elephant
The African Bush Elephant or African Savanna Elephant is the larger of the two species of African elephant. Both it and the African Forest Elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African Elephant...
(Loxodonta africana), Burchell's zebra
Burchell's Zebra
Burchell's Zebra is a southern subspecies of the Plains Zebra.-Range:Formerly Burchell's zebra ranged north of the Vaal/Orange river system, extending northwest via southern Botswana to Etosha and the Kaokoveld, southeast to Swaziland and Kwazulu-Natal...
(Equus burchellii), Thomson's gazelle
Thomson's Gazelle
The Thomson's gazelle is one of the best-known gazelles. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson and, as a result, is sometimes referred to as a "tommie"...
(Eudorcas thomsonii), hartebeest
Hartebeest
The hartebeest is a grassland antelope found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. It is one of the three species classified in the genus Alcelaphus....
(Alcelaphus buselaphus), woodland dormouse
Woodland Dormouse
The Woodland Dormouse is a species of rodent in the Gliridae family. It is endemic to South Africa. It is also known as African Dwarf Dormouse, African Pygmy Dormouse, Woodland Dormouse, or colloquially as Micro Squirrel...
(Graphiurus murinus), kipunji
Kipunji
The kipunji is a species of Old World monkey that lives in the highland forests of Tanzania. It is the only member of its genus. Also known as the highland mangabey, it is about three feet long and has long brown fur, which stands in tufts on the sides and top of its head. Its face and eyelids...
(Rungwecebus kipunji), Thomas's bushbaby
Thomas's Bushbaby
Thomas's bushbaby is a species of primate in the Galagidae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda....
(Galago thomasi), Prince Demidoff's bushbaby
Prince Demidoff's Bushbaby
Prince Demidoff's bushbaby , also known as Prince Demidoff's Galago, is a species of primate in the Galagidae Family...
(Galago demidoff), puku
Puku
The Puku is an antelope found in wet grasslands in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, in Namibia and in Zambia.Puku stand about 80 centimetres at the shoulder and weigh from 70 to 80 kilograms. Puku are sandy brown in colour, the underbelly is a slightly lighter brown...
(Kobus vardonii), gerenuk
Gerenuk
The Gerenuk , also known as the Waller's Gazelle, is a long-necked species of antelope found in dry bushy scrub and steppe in East Africa, from Somalia and eastern Ethiopia through northern and eastern Kenya to northeastern Tanzania...
(Litocranius walleri), common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel
Pygmy Scaly-tailed Flying Squirrel
The Pygmy Scaly-tailed Flying Squirrel is a species of rodent in the Anomaluridae family. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
(Idiurus zenkeri), suni
Suni
Suni is a very small species of antelope. It occurs in south-east Africa in dense underbrush.Suni are around 12-17 inches high at the shoulder and weigh 10-12 pounds . They are usually reddish brown, darker on their back than their sides and legs. The belly, chin, throat and insides of legs are...
(Neotragus moschatus), mbarapi
Sable Antelope
The Sable Antelope is an antelope which inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa.-Subspecies:There are four subspecies:* H. n. niger which is considered low risk conservation dependent...
(Hippotragus niger) and North African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata).
Predators
A few predators species are: lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
(Panthera leo), spotted hyena
Spotted Hyena
The spotted hyena also known as laughing hyena, is a carnivorous mammal of the family Hyaenidae, of which it is the largest extant member. Though the species' prehistoric range included Eurasia extending from Atlantic Europe to China, it now only occurs in all of Africa south of the Sahara save...
(Crocuta crocuta), black-backed jackal
Black-backed Jackal
The black-backed jackal , also known as the silver-backed or red jackal, is a species of jackal which inhabits two areas of the African continent separated by roughly 900 km. One region includes the southern-most tip of the continent, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe...
(Canis mesomelas) and serval
Serval
The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...
(Leptailurus serval).
Primates
Some of the primate species reported are: chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
(Pan troglodytes), and baboons (Papio): anubis baboon (Papio anubis), yellow baboon
Yellow Baboon
The yellow baboon is a baboon from the Old World monkey family.Cynocephalus literally means "dog-head" in Greek due to the shape of its muzzle and head. It has a slim body with long arms and legs and a yellowish-brown hair. It resembles the Chacma baboon but is smaller and its muzzle is not as...
(Papio cynocephalus), and hamadryas baboon
Hamadryas Baboon
The Hamadryas baboon is a species of baboon from the Old World monkey family. It is the northernmost of all the baboons; being native to the Horn of Africa and the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. These regions provide habitats with the advantage for this species of fewer natural...
(Papio hamadryas).
Birds
As of March 2004, according to the Avibase data base, the number of bird species in Tanzania were reported as 1112 species (according to Bird Life international it is 1128), 23 endemic species, 35 globally threatened species and 3 introduced species. The conservation status of Grey Crowned Crane
Grey Crowned Crane
The Grey Crowned Crane is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. This animal does not migrate....
s found in wetland-grassland habitats of Eastern and Southern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
including Tanzania is listed as vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
.
Endemic species
Endemic species are: Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus), Pemba Green Pigeon (Treron pembaensis), Pemba Scops-owl
Pemba Scops-owl
The Pemba Scops-owl, Petit-duc De Pemba, or Autillo De Pemba is a species of owl in the Strigidae family.It is endemic to Tanzania....
(Otus pembaensis), Usambara Eagle-Owl
Usambara Eagle-owl
The Usambara Eagle-Owl or Nduk Eagle-Owl is a species of owl in the Strigidae family.It is endemic to Tanzania.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* BirdLife...
(Bubo vosseleri), Beesley's Lark (Chersomanes beesleyi), Mrs. Moreau's Warbler (Scepomycter winifredae), Usambara Hyliota
Usambara Hyliota
The Usambara Hyliota is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found only in Tanzania.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, and plantations.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* BirdLife...
(Hyliota usambarae), Usambara Akalat
Usambara Akalat
The Usambara Akalat , also known as the Usambara Alethe or Usambara Robin-chat, is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is endemic to Tanzania....
(Sheppardia montana), Iringa Akalat
Iringa Akalat
The Iringa Akalat is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is endemic to Tanzania.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
(Sheppardia lowei), Rubeho Akalat
Rubeho Akalat
The Rubeho Akalat, Sheppardia aurantiithorax, is a member of the Old World flycatcher family , known from the Eastern Arc of Tanzania. Akalats trapped in 1989 here were assumed to be an isolated population of Iringa Akalat which occurs c. 150 km to the south, but further specimens collected in...
(Sheppardia aurantiithorax), Banded Sunbird
Banded Sunbird
The Banded Green Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is endemic to Tanzania.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, plantations, and rural gardens.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* BirdLife...
(Anthreptes rubritorques), Moreau's Sunbird
Moreau's Sunbird
The Moreau's Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is endemic to Tanzania.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
(Nectarinia moreaui), Rufous-winged Sunbird
Rufous-winged Sunbird
The Rufous-winged Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is endemic to Tanzania.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
(Nectarinia rufipennis), Tanzania Seedeater
Kipengere Seedeater
The Kipengere Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found only in Tanzania.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland....
(Serinus melanochrous), Rufous-tailed Weaver
Rufous-tailed Weaver
The Rufous-tailed Weaver is an East African songbird. Despite its name, it is placed the Old World sparrow family ....
(Histurgops ruficauda), Kilombero Weaver
Kilombero Weaver
The Kilombero Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is endemic to Tanzania.Its natural habitat is swamps.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
(Ploceus burnieri), Tanganyika Masked-Weaver (Ploceus reichardi) and Usambara Weaver
Usambara Weaver
The Usambara Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is endemic to Tanzania.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and plantations .It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
(Ploceus nicolli).
Introduced species
Introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
are: Rock Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon"....
(Columba livia) and House Crow
House Crow
thumb|300px|Bangalore, IndiaThe House Crow , also known as the Colombo Crow is a common bird of the Crow family that is of Asian origin but now found in many parts of the world, where they arrived assisted by shipping. It is between the Jackdaw and the Carrion Crow in size but is relatively...
(Corvus splendens).
Conservation
Trophy hunting
Trophy hunting is the selective hunting of wild game animals. Although parts of the slain animal may be kept as a hunting trophy or memorial , the carcass itself is sometimes used as food....
has also provided some respite to the problem and this has helped in generating revenue, generally in the northern, southern and western wildlife areas.