TANZANIA NATIONAL PARKS - SOUTHERN CIRCUIT

Mikumi National Park covers an area of 3,230 square kilometers and makes the third largest Park in southern Tanzania in Morogoro region about 283 kilometers from Dar es Salaam city.

Mikumi National Park hosts carnivores like lions, leopards, wild dogs, and a large population of herbivores grazing in the vast Mkata flood plain grasses including zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, impalas, elephants, Greater kudu and sable antelopes.

Other mammals and reptiles include eland, waterbuck, wildebeests, crocodiles and baboons. The park also offers a nice view of birdlife and hippos to the close range on the north part of the park.

Ruaha National Park covers an area of about 12,950 square kilometers and makes the second

largest park. The origin of its name is from the river that crosses to the park having largest water catchments.

The vegetation of Ruaha is covered by tall trees such as baobab, tamarind, acacia albida, wild figs, grasslands and Miombo woodland to the eastern side of the river.

Ruaha River is a home to hippos, crocodiles and numerous water birds includes spotted eagle owl, African cuckoo, bee-eater, doves shrikes and ostriches among others.

Ruaha accommodates other numerous wild animals include roan and sable antelopes, African buffaloes, lions, greater and lesser Kudus, gazelles, wild dogs, cheetahs, wildebeests, hartebeest, impalas and zebras.

Selous Game Reserve provides shelter for large numbers of buffaloes, elephants, wild dogs, eland, reedbuck, bushbuck, hartebeest, wildebeest, Great kudu, sable antelope, zebras, crocodiles, hippos, warthog, giraffe and the remaining black rhinos. Others include lions, leopards, and the spotted hyenas in abundance with rare cheetahs.

The Reserve is located in Southeast of Tanzania covering an area of 45,000 square kilometers in Iringa region. The game reserve is the oldest and largest protected area in Africa.

The reserve was named in 1922 after Frederick Courteney Selous, the British explorer who was killed in the reserve by an elephant during WWI. Selous was also keen naturalist and conservationalist as well as a hunter in the area.

Ruaha accommodates other numerous wild animals include roan and sable antelopes, African buffaloes, lions, greater and lesser Kudus, gazelles, wild dogs, cheetahs, wildebeests, hartebeest, impalas and zebras.

Selous Game Reserve provides shelter for large numbers of buffaloes, elephants, wild dogs, eland, reedbuck, bushbuck, hartebeest, wildebeest, Great kudu, sable antelope, zebras, crocodiles, hippos, warthog, giraffe and the remaining black rhinos. Others include lions, leopards, and the spotted hyenas in abundance with rare cheetahs.

The Reserve is located in Southeast of Tanzania covering an area of 45,000 square kilometers in Iringa region. The game reserve is the oldest and largest protected area in Africa.

The reserve was named in 1922 after Frederick Courteney Selous, the British explorer who was killed in the reserve by an elephant during WWI. Selous was also keen naturalist and conservationalist as well as a hunter in the area.

Udzungwa Mountains National Park: covers an area of 1990 square kilometers the park is bordered to the eastern by Kilombero valley and Selous game reserve, Mikumi town to the north and the continuing Udzungwa Mountains to the south which makes the total range of 10,000 square kilometers.

The park is attractive for its waterfalls to the Mwanihama peak which can be climbed for three days. Hiking to Udzungwa requires a high level of fitness as it is a very steep climb. The north western side has deciduous trees dominated by acacia while in eastern side of the park has evergreen moist forest of both lowland and montane forest.

Udzungwa forests provides shelter for a number of rare end-

emic and endangered species of flora and fauna including the two diurnal primate species that are found no where else in the world namely the Iringa and the Sanje mangabey colobus.