Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

contains some 20 percent of the species of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

's large

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

population, found across its reserves, conservation areas, marine parks, and 17 national parks, spread over an area of more than and forming approximately 38 percent of the country's territory.Briggs, pp. 1–31 Wildlife resources of Tanzania are described as "without parallel in Africa" and "the prime game viewing country".

Serengeti National Park The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over . It is located in eastern Mara Region and northeastern Simiyu Region and contains over of virgin savanna. The park was established in 1940. The Se ...

, the country's second largest national park area at , is located in northern Tanzania and is famous for its extensive migratory herds of wildebeests and

zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), the plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. ...

while also having the reputation as one of the great natural wonders of the world. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, established in 1959, is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

and inhabited by the

Maasai people The Maasai (;) are a Nilotic peoples, Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting northern, central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, near the African Great Lakes region.

. Its Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact

caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcanic eruption. An eruption that ejects large volumes of magma over a short period of time can cause significant detriment to the str ...

in the world. The national parks are also part of the

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

s of Tanzania. The wild animals tend to be closer to the wetlands, particularly the water loving species such as the

hippopotamus The hippopotamus (''Hippopotamus amphibius;'' ; : hippopotamuses), often shortened to hippo (: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Sahar ...

, waterbuck, common warthog,

elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

crocodile Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large, semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term "crocodile" is sometimes used more loosely to include ...

, sitatunga as well as water birds such as flamingoes and

ducks Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

Background

Since the colonial era, wildlife conservation in Tanzania has been the prerogative of the government. Under this structure, the use of wildlife resources by local communities had always been restrictive, causing increased rural poverty and

poaching Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set against the huntin ...

. In recent years, the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) has initiated corrective actions to involve the local community in conservation efforts, which is aimed at contribution to local economies by way of equitable benefits sharing. Lates niloticus

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 the export of the

Nile perch The Nile perch (''Lates niloticus''), also known as the African snook, Goliath perch, African barramundi, Goliath barramundi, Giant lates or the Victoria perch, is a species of freshwater fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. It is wides ...

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 17 national parks covering a total area of . These parks are as follows: # Arusha National Park () #

Gombe Stream National Park Gombe National Park () is a national park in Tanzania, located in the Kigoma District of the Kigoma Region. It was formerly called Gombe Stream National Park.Tanzania National Parks“Gombe Stream National Park”, 2008. Overview Established in ...

() # Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park # Katavi National Park () # Kilimanjaro National Park () # Kitulo National Park () # Mahale Mountains National Park () # Lake Manyara National Park () # Mikumi National Park () # Mkomazi National Park () # Ruaha National Park () # Rubondo Island National Park () #

Saadani National Park Saadani National Park is a national park in Tanzania with an area of . It was officially gazetted in 2005 and is managed under the Tanzania National Parks Authority. It is located in southeastern Pangani District of Tanga Region and northeast Cha ...

() # Saanane Island National Park () #

() # Tarangire National Park () # Udzungwa Mountains National Park ().

Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park located entirely in Arusha Region is spread over an area of . It is within the riverine, lacustrine, and palustrine wetland ecosystem. It encompasses the

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...

s and alpine deserts of Mount Meru, Africa's fifth highest mountain at . The park also has marshy areas, rolling grassy hills, and wooded

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

. The Ngurdoto Crater, the Momela Lakes, and one of the sources of the Pangani River are within the park. Wild animals and birds reported in the park include

(uncommon),

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

, waterbuck,

spotted hyena The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUC ...

giraffe The giraffe is a large Fauna of Africa, African even-toed ungulate, hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa.'' It is the Largest mammals#Even-toed Ungulates (Artiodactyla), tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on ...

, blue monkey, colobus monkey, turaco, trogon, African buffalo, warthog, klipspringer, and red-hot poker. Water birds are also concentrated in large numbers in the lake areas, particularly flamingos. The park is near the city of

Arusha Arusha is a city in Tanzania. The city is the Capital city, capital of the Arusha Region. It has a population of 617,631 people.

, and the Kilimanjaro International Airport is away.

Gombe Stream National Park

The second smallest of Tanzania's national parks is

is located in Kigoma District of

Kigoma Region Kigoma Region (''Mkoa wa Kigoma'' in Swahili language, Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative Regions of Tanzania, regions, with the city of Kigoma as the regional capital. Kigoma Region borders Kagera Region, Geita Region, Katavi Regio ...

, covering an area of only . Its natural topography consists of steep hill slopes, river valleys, and the sandy northern shores of

Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika ( ; ) is an African Great Lakes, African Great Lake. It is the world's List of lakes by volume, second-largest freshwater lake by volume and the List of lakes by depth, second deepest, in both cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. ...

. It is drained by the Gombe River. Access to the park is only through marine vessels from Kigoma. The celebrated animals in the park are mostly

primates Primates is an order of mammals, which is further divided into the strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and lorisids; and the haplorhines, which include tarsiers and simians ( monkeys and apes). Primates arose 74–63 ...

, including

chimpanzee The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of Hominidae, great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close rel ...

, beach comber olive baboon, red-tailed monkey, and red colobus monkey. The park is the site of Jane Goodall's ongoing study of chimpanzee behaviour, which started in 1960. The study has reported 150 individuals who are familiar with humans. The park has a rich bird life with 200 reported bird species, including African fish eagle and red-throated twinspot.

Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park

Katavi National Park

Katavi National Park, having an area of , is Tanzania’s third largest national park located in Katavi Region . Its geographic setting is in a truncated arm of the

East African Rift The East African Rift (EAR) or East African Rift System (EARS) is an active continental rift zone in East Africa. The EAR began developing around the onset of the Miocene, 22–25 million years ago. It was formerly considered to be part of a l ...

that terminates in Lake Rukwa. It is an integral part of the riverine and palustrine wetland ecosystem. The Katuma River and associated floodplains, marshy lakes, and brachystegia woodland are part of its habitat. Eland, sable and roan antelopes are found in substantial numbers, and its marshy lakes have Tanzania's densest population of

and

Nile crocodile The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the eastern, southern, and ce ...

Elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

, African buffalo,

, impala, and reedbuck are a common sight during the dry season.Briggs, pp. 8–9

Kilimanjaro National Park

As the name implies, Mount Kilimanjaro gives its name to the park located in Kilimanjaro Region. It is the highest mountain in

at and is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. The park provides a "climatic world tour, from the tropics to the Arctic". Vegetation in the park includes thick Montane forests, mosses and lichen, and giant lobelias. The park, established in 1977, encompasses an area of and is within the riverine and palustrine ecosystem. Resident wild animals include

, African buffalo, the endangered Abbott's duiker, 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 volcanic cones of Kibo, which has several remnant glaciers, and Mawenzi and to witness the Afro-montane moorland habitat. It is one of the most visited parks in Tanzania. The municipality of Moshi is near several of the park entrances and is east of the larger city of

Arusha Arusha is a city in Tanzania. The city is the Capital city, capital of the Arusha Region. It has a population of 617,631 people.

.Briggs, pp.10–11

Kitulo National Park

Kitulo National Park has an area of in the Kitulo Plateau – local name 'Bustani ya Mungu' meaning "The Garden of God" – located in northwest Njombe Region. The montane grassland with rich water resources is at an elevation of about . It is hemmed between the rugged peaks of the Kipengere, Poroto, and Livingstone Mountains and has

volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

soils, and is drained by the Ruaha River. 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 __NOTOC__ This is a list of ornithologists who have articles, in alphabetical order by surname. See also :Ornithologists. A * John Abbot – US * Clinton Gilbert Abbott – US * William Louis Abbott – US * Humayun Abdulali — India * Joseph ...

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 Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

, chameleons,

lizards Lizard is the common name used for all squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The ...

and

frogs A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough skin texture due to ...

. The park’s headquarters is located at Matamba inside the park, which is from Mbeya town.Briggs, pp.12–13

Mahale Mountains National Park

Mahale Mountains National Park, next to the Gombe Stream National Park is set on the shores of the

in Uvinza District of

, with a watershed comprising richly forested Mahale Mountains with its peaks as high as above the lake shore. Nkungwe peak () is the park’s largest mountain in the Mahale range which is venerated by the local Tongwe people. Located in a remote and not easily approachable area, the park is spread over an area of . 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.Briggs, pp.14–15

Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park, which encompasses an area of includes (at high water stage) of Lake Manyara, an alkaline lake, below the high rift valley;

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

called this lake “the loveliest I had seen in Africa” is located in both in Arusha Region and Manyara Region. 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. Wild animals seen are troops of baboons, blue monkeys, bushbuck, giraffes, tree climbing lions, squadrons of

banded mongoose The banded mongoose (''Mungos mungo'') is a mongoose species native from the Sahel to Southern Africa. It lives in savannas, open forests and grasslands and feeds primarily on beetles and millipedes. Mongooses use various types of dens for shelt ...

, Kirk's dik-dik and pairs of klipspringer. Elephants, which were nearing extinction in the 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 Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before ...

s, cormorants and

stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons and ibise ...

s. The entry gate to the park is , west of Arusha from Mto wa Mbu, an ethnic town. The park is also connected by charter or scheduled flights from Arusha via

Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning the Mara and Arusha Regions of Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game r ...

and Ngorongoro Crater. Recent activities in the park relate to "canoeing, mountain biking, walking and

abseiling Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling, the person descending controls their own movement down a static or fixed rope, in cont ...

" It is located between Lake Victoria and the Arusha-Dodoma Road.Briggs, pp.16–17

Mikumi National Park

Mikumi National Park covers an area of (the fourth largest park in the country) in a tract of wilderness in Morogoro Region. 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. 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 ( 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 road with

Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...

, via Selous Reserve, Ruaha, Udzungwa and Katavi.Briggs, pp.18–19

Mkomazi National Park

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park is Tanzania's largest national park, covering . It has rugged, semi-arid bush country, typical of central Tanzania located in Iringa Region. 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. The park includes an extensive riverine and palustrine wetland ecosystem on the Usangu Plain. Open grasslands and acacia savanna 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 The greater kudu (''Tragelaphus strepsiceros'') is a large woodland antelope, found throughout East Africa, eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory (animal), territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas d ...

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.Briggs, pp. 20–21 (p 20-21)

Rubondo Island National Park

Rubondo Island National Park is an island park with an area of . It is located in Geita Region, west of Mwanza. It includes nine smaller islands. It is in the lacustrine wetland ecosystem on the shores of the

Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropics, tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface are ...

. Known as a "water wonderland", it is fish breeding ground; tilapia, yellow-spotted otters and

(as heavy as ) are some of the special species.Briggs, pp. 22–23 Mammal species abound in this remote and not easily accessible park and consist of indigenous species of hippos, vervet monkeys, 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.

Saadani National Park

, a game reserve since the 1960s, was declared a national park in 2002, covers an area of including the former Mkwaja ranch area, the Wami River and the Zaraninge forest. It is the only park in

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

with an Indian Ocean beachfront. It is located and shared between Pangani Districtof Tanga Region and Chalinze District of Pwani Region. 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 The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named th ...

(WWF) with the objective to preserve the last coastal

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

in the country. It was also run as a cattle ranch between 1952 and 2000.Briggs, pp. 24–25 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 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 A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

(''pomboo'') and humpback whales (''nyangumi'').

Saanane Island National Park

Serengeti National Park

is the oldest and most popular national park which was established in 1951, with an area of located entirely in

Mara Region Mara Region (''Mkoa wa Mara'' in Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers an area of . The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of El Salvador. for El Salvador at The nei ...

. The habitat, bounded by

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

and bordered by

on the west, is characterized by vast plains, savannah, wooded hills, large termite mounds, rivers, and acacia woodlands. The spectacular wildlife witnessed in the park generally refers to the great wildebeest migration where a million wildebeests chase green lands across the rolling plains of Serengeti in Tanzania and Masai Mara in Kenya. Sometimes they are seen in long columns migrating across the rivers to the north, over a distance of , after spending three weeks of mating and giving birth to 8000 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 are buffaloes, elephants, giraffe, large number of elands,

topi ''Damaliscus lunatus jimela'' is a subspecies of Damaliscus lunatus, topi, and is usually just called a topi. It is a highly social and fast type of antelope found in the savannas, semi-deserts, and floodplains of sub-Saharan Africa. Names The ...

s, kongonis, impalas, and Grant's gazelles. The predators inhabiting the park are

jackal Jackals are Canidae, canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe Canina (subtribe), canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-b ...

s, rock hyrax and serval cats. Reptiles include agama lizards and

s. Bird species recorded are more than 500, which include ostrich and secretary bird. 100 varieties of dung beetle are also reported.Briggs, pp. 26–27

Tarangire National Park

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. The park is located within Manyara Region and It has an area of to the south east of Lake Manyara. Mammals in the park are a number of elephants and migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle,

hartebeest The hartebeest (; ''Alcelaphus buselaphus''), also known as kongoni or kaama, is an Fauna of Africa, African antelope. It is the Monotypic taxon, only member of the genus ''Alcelaphus''. Eight subspecies have been described, including two som ...

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 . Airlinks are also available from airports at Arusha and the Serengeti.Briggs, pp. 28–29

Udzungwa Mountains National Park

Udzungwa Mountains National Park, with an area of 1,990 square kilometres (770 sq mi), is part of the

Eastern Arc Mountains The Eastern Arc Mountains are a chain of mountains found in Kenya and Tanzania. The chain runs from northeast to southwest, with the Taita Hills being in Kenya and the other ranges being in Tanzania. They are delimited on the southwest by the fau ...

(which comprise mountain ranges from the Taita Hills in southern Kenya to the Makambako Gap in south-central Tanzania). Sometimes called an "African Galapagos" for the uniqueness of its wildlife, the park encompasses hills ranging in elevation between 250 metres (820 ft) and the 2,576 metres (8,451 ft) of Lohomero peak, the highest in the park. The park shares border with eastern Njombe Region and Kilombero District. 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 and 6 primate species are reported from the park. It has the second largest biodiversity of a national park within Africa. It is included in the list of 34 "World Biodiversity Hotspots". 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 Udzungwa red colobus and Sanje mangabey are only found in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park; that mangabey was only recognised as a distinct species in 1986.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Although it is not a national park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) with an area of In Arusha Region was recognized by the

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

as a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 1979. The criteria cited for this recognition include: (1) crucial evidence found within the NCA about human evolution and human-environment dynamics (this criterion added in 2010); (2) the "stunning landscape" of Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken

in the world; (3) the NCA's large concentration of wildlife, including 25,000 large animals; and (4) the NCA's variations in climate, landforms and altitude, resulting in several overlapping ecosystems and distinct habitats.

Fauna

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 bushshrikes; hawksbill, green turtles, olive ridley turtle and leatherback turtles; red colobus monkeys; wild dogs; and Pemba flying foxes. However,

Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. History 20th century Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen Wheeler, Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 19 ...

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 The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

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, Avibase data profiles and

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

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 Elephant near ndutu

Three hundred species of mammals have been reported in Tanzania. Some of the species reported are

African bush elephant The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana''), also known as the African savanna elephant, is a species of elephant native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of three extant elephant species and, along with the African forest elephant, one ...

(''Loxodonta africana''), Burchell's zebra (''Equus burchellii''), Thomson's gazelle (''Eudorcas thomsonii''),

(''Alcelaphus buselaphus''), woodland dormouse (''Graphiurus murinus''), kipunji (''Rungwecebus kipunji''), Thomas's bushbaby (''Galago thomasi''), Prince Demidoff's bushbaby (''Galagoides demidovii''), 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:

(''Panthera leo''),

(''Crocuta crocuta''),

black-backed jackal The black-backed jackal (''Lupulella mesomelas'') is a medium-sized Caninae, canine native to East Africa, eastern and southern Africa. These regions are separated by roughly . One region includes the southernmost tip of the continent, includin ...

(''Canis mesomelas'') and serval (''Leptailurus serval''). ;Primates Some of the primate species reported are:

(''Pan troglodytes''), and baboons (''Papio''): anubis baboon (''Papio anubis''), yellow baboon (''Papio cynocephalus''), and hamadryas baboon (''Papio hamadryas''). ;Birds Grey Crowned Crane-2

As of March 2004, according to the Avibase database, the number of bird species in Tanzania was reported as 1112 species (according to BirdLife International it is 1128), 23 endemic species, 35 globally threatened species and 3 introduced species. The conservation status of grey crowned cranes found in wetland-grassland habitats of eastern and southern

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 An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

are: rock pigeon (''Columba livia'') and house crow (''Corvus splendens'').

Conservation

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 wildlife 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 Trophy hunting is a form of hunting for field sports, sport in which parts of the hunted wild animals are kept and displayed as trophies. The animal being targeted, known as the "game (hunting), game", is typically a mature male specimen from a p ...

has also provided some respite to the problem and this has helped in generating revenue, generally in the northern, southern and western wildlife areas. A February 2020 report on wildlife censuses carried out in October 2018 and November 2018 in the Selous-Mikumi ecosystem indicates that populations of elephants, hippopotamuses, and zebras have increased and that poaching has been brought under control.Tanzania: Jumbo, Hippo, Zebra Numbers Up - Report
12 Feb 2020

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wildlife Of Tanzania Biota of Tanzania