National Parks
Tanzania’s national parks and game reserves cover one seventh of the country and include the Serengeti National Park, which is famous for its vast migratory herds of plains animals, particularly wildebeest, zebra, eland and kudu. There are small bands of chimpanzees that can be found in the Gombe National Park along Lake Tanganyika. The steep mountain walls of the Ngorongoro Crater provide protection and a natural enclosure for animals in an environment of great natural beauty; the crater forms a part of the Ngorongora Park. Rhino and elephant numbers are still low due to poaching in the past despite the government’s protective measures.
The coastline is 1,424km of which over 800km are unspoiled, white, sandy beaches.
THE GREAT MIGRATION
The migration traditionally follows the rains to take advantage of the new grasses on the plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara.
Theoretically, if traditional weather patterns occur annually, the following provides a basic idea of how the migration moves throughout the year:
Late December/early January – Ndutu region Tanzania. Traditionally this is when the calves are born. The migration remains passive until April when the calves are strong enough to start moving north.
Early April/May/June – Serengeti Tanzania. The migration begins moving north-west following the “long rains” across the Serengeti plains towards the western corridor and the Grumeti River.
June/July – Western corridor Tanzania. The animals gather in the western corridor
August/September – Masai Mara Kenya. The migration crosses the Grumeti River and moves north-east into the northern steppes of the Masai Mara.
October/November/Early December – Masai Mara Kenya/Northern Tanzania/ Serengeti. As the short rains begin in northern Tanzania the migration begins to move south back into the Kleins/ Lobo region of the Serengeti. From here they follow the rains through to Seronera and end up at Ndutu for the calving season.
As the migration follows the rains, there is no hard and fast rule as to where the animals will be, and when. Often the animals split into two groups as they move, resulting in one group moving on the western side and another group moving on the eastern side of the Serengeti, finally meeting up at Ndutu or in the Mara. Viewing of the migration can therefore not be guaranteed.
Tanzania's national parks extend over some 33,660km² (13,000 sq miles). In addition there is the unique Ngorongoro Conservation Unit, in which wildlife is protected and where the Maasai tribes people also live and herd their cattle.
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National Parks
Tanzania’s National Parks
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