National Parks of Tanzania

Tanzania is home to some of the world's most famous national parks, which are open for safaris in specific sections from year to year. Every season, nature lovers from all over the world gather in these parks to imbibe the flora and fauna in their natural state, as opposed to caged or artificially presented in zoos, museums or botanical gardens.

The oldest among Tanzania's safari destinations, which is also the country's chief tourist attraction, is the Serengeti National Park. Stretched over more than 14.5 thousand square kilometers, the Serengeti - with its plains, savannahs and woodlands - is home to millions of rare animals who either live in or migrate through its space.

The Serengeti is located in Northern Tanzania, with other national parks and conservation areas surrounding it. The Tanzania-Kenya border is just north of the Serengeti, and on the Kenya side of the same border lies the huge Masai Mara National Reserve. Serengeti National Park and the Masai Mara are effectively one huge stretch of protected land, housing 1.5 million wildebeest - large African antelopes - and over 200,000 zebra.

The migration of the wildebeest, often accompanied by zebras, is a wondrous sight. When attacked by predators, the wildebeest often protect the zebras - which are smaller and more vulnerable - along with their own young. In return, zebras - who have much stronger digestive systems - will eat or trample low-protein and fibrous grass so that the wildebeest can access the shorter, more nutritious grass below.

To the south east of the Serengeti, continuing the southern part of the great Serengeti plains, lies the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is located in Tanzania's Crater Highlands, and contains the Ngorongoro Crater which is the world's largest volcanic crater. Biodiversity in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is also very high, with over 25,000 large animals including the black rhinoceros, hippopotamus, gazelles and of course the wildebeest and zebras who also throng the Serengeti. These herbivores attract predators such as the lion, leopard and cheetah, with scavengers such as hyenas and jackals to follow.

In South Tanzania is located the Selous Game Reserve, which covers a staggering 54,500+ square kilometers and is one of the world's richest fauna reserves. With its high numbers of the typical savanna animals, the Selous is deemed reasonably safe for controlled hunting - especially in the outer areas. Hunting in the Selous is regulated, and only a certain number of each species is allowed to be shot each season. However, for avid hunters, even this slim chance is worth jumping at. For non-hunters, of course, there are regular safaris.

A safari in a national park is one of the best possible ways to commune with nature and understand life in the wild. A package trip can be as short as you like or stretch up to five days, and individual trips can be set up for groups of two people or more. Travel options are also many - riverboat, jeep or long walks are equally viable ways to explore the wild, each bringing its own delights and sensations. If a vacation in the wild is what you fancy, a safari in Tanzania will definitely become the best present you could give yourself.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

About the Author

Roy Hinde lives in Tanzania and works on Tanzania safari with Wild Things For more information contact Climb Kilimanjaro with Mountain Kingdom Safaris

by: wildthings

Total views: 2 Word Count: 556 Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 Time: 3:48 AM - 0 comments

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