Tarangire National Park Attractions ........

Tarangire National Park covers approximately 2600 square kilometers and, in the dry season, is second only to Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area in concentrations of wildlife.

Tarangire lies to south of the large, open grass plains of southern Maasailand , and derives its name from the Tarangire River, which provides permanent water for wildlife in the area.

At 2600km2, Tarangire is far from being the biggest of the Tanzania parks, but its unrivalled landscape of open plains, dotted with thousands of baobabs, is unforgettable. About 120km south of Arusha on the Dodoma road, Tarangire rivals the Serengeti for the size of the game herds that congregate here at peak season ( June to November). This is when many of the animals crowd around the only source of permanent water in the park, the Tarangire River.

This is also the best place in Tanzania to see really big herds of elephant – up to 300 at a time. Tarangire is another park known for its tree –climbing lions, and for its very big herds of buffalo. This is one of Africa’s little-known gems and should be on the itinerary of all lovers of wilderness and solitude. The game number are staggering: 30000 zebra, 25000 wildebeest, 5000 buffalo, 3000 elephant, 2500 Maasai giraffe and over 1000 fringe- eared oryx (gemsbok). Preditors include lion, cheetah and leopard, and birders will want to look out for the endemic ashy starling, rufous-tailed weaver and black-collared lovebird.

The park is spectacular in the dry season when many of the migratory wildlife species come back to the permanent waters of Tarangire River. Huge herds of wildebeest, zebras, elephants, eland and oryx gather to stay in Tarangire until the onset of the rains when they migrate again to good grazing areas.

But this annual migration is threatened by increasing agriculture in the areas surrounding the park. For wilderness areas like Tarangire to survive, conservation measures must go hand in hand with appropriate rural development. The commitment shown by the Tanzanian government to promote these ideals is important. In the dry season, concentration of wildlife in Tarangire is second only to Ngorongoro. Over 300 species of birds are recorded in the park, including some Eurasian migrants.