Tarangire National Park

The calmer side of Tarangire can be seen in the southern part of Tarangire National Park, which is known for its baobabs and huge elephant numbers. The Maasai Steppe fields are in the south-east of Tarangire National Park. The Great Rift Valley lakes are in the north and west. The Tarangire River runs through more and more eroded ravines until it leaves the park in the northwest corner and flows into Lake Burungi. During the dry season, the southern marshes turn into green fields.

Even though Tarangire is one of only four parks on Tanzania\’s \”northern circuit,\” which is a very popular route, many minibus trips either skip it or give it less than 24 hours. The crowded northern part of the park is where most of the park\’s campers and cabins are. If you go to Tarangire, you should spend a few days in the southern part of the park, which doesn\’t get many tourists and has a wilderness feel.

Where is Tarangire National Park located?

The Manyara Region in northern Tanzania is where Tarangire National Park is. Tarangire Park is near Mount Kilimanjaro. It is about 120 kilometers (two hours) from Arusha, which is known as Tanzania\’s tourist capital. The Northern Tanzanian Safari Circuit, which includes the national park, is the most popular place in Tanzania to see wildlife.

Tarangire is home to elephants.Tarangire is southeast of Lake Manyara National Park and northwest of the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. Tanzania\’s Northern Safari Circuit is made up of these amazing animal sanctuaries. They are near the southern border of Kenya.

Tarangire National Park\’s plant and animal life

The Tarangire River, which runs the length of the park, and the seasonal marshes, which are usually dry for most of the year, are the park\’s most famous features and draws. The plants in Tarangire are much thicker than those in the Serengeti. There is a lot of elephant grass, large patches of mixed acacia forests, and beautiful forest ribbons along the river.

Mammals

If you think of Tarangire as part of a bigger ecosystem, you\’ll understand why game animals change with the seasons. Between November and May, some of the park\’s animals move to Lake Manyara or the Maasai Steppe. When these places become dry from June to October, the animals go back to Tarangire\’s marshes, especially its rivers. This is your best chance to go on a tour to Tarangire and see some amazing animals. Here, large groups of elephants and a lot of wildebeest and zebra come together. There are also large numbers of impala, giraffe, eland, and buffalo. In this area, you can find Thompson\’s gazelle, Coke\’s hartebeest, bohor reedbuck, and both greater and lesser kudu.

Extremely rare species that only live in this area, like the gerenuk and the fringe-eared Oryx, can also be seen here. A few black rhinos may still be in the park. Lions and leopards live in the Tarangire National Park, but cheetahs like the more open areas in the south. There are always hyenas, but it is very rare to see a wild dog.

Tarangire\’s Birdlife

Tarangire\’s marshy areas are usually green all year, which brings in about 550 different kinds of birds. There may be more bird types that breed here than anywhere else in the world. Lovebirds with yellow collars are often seen in the riverside plants along the Tarangire River. The rufous-tailed weavers and ashy starlings can also be found in this part of Tanzania. Ostriches and ground hornbills are often seen in the dry areas.

Vegetation

Most of Tarangire\’s plants are dry, open woods with thickets of thorny acacia and a lot of the park\’s famous baobab trees. There are also some beautiful Acacia tortilis trees with flat tops and a palm tree that isn\’t very common. In the south of the park, between the rolling woods, there is a large area of marshland.

When would be the best time to go to Tarangire National Park?Along the Tarangire River and in its swamps, animals gather to find food and water. During the dry time of year, From June to October, the thick undergrowth in the game park thins, making it easier to see wildlife. This is the best time to go on a Tarangire tour to see wildlife.

During the dry season, from June to October, huge groups of animals gather at the Tarangire River. At the moment, there are a lot of elephants. Put this park on your list of places to see in northern Tanzania. From June to October, when it\’s hot and dry, a lot of elephants gather together. Wildlife gathers along the river after moving from Masaai Mara.

Getting to Tarangire

The entrance to Tarangire National Park is at Kilimanjaro International Airport, which is near the city of Arusha. After you arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you can drive to Tarangire, which will take you about three hours. About 120 kilometers from Arusha, Tarangire is in the south-east part of Manyara National Park. Tarangire is one of the parks in northern Tanzania that changes the most with the seasons. There are a lot of animals that migrate through the park\’s environment.

ATTRACTIONS  IN TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

Tanzania is home to more elephants than any other country.

The Tarangire National Park has the largest number of elephants in all of Tanzania. This is one of the main reasons why it has become a world-famous game park. As the dry season goes on from June to October and the land gets drier, groups of up to 300 elephants will be looking for underground water sources in the dried riverbed of the Tarangire River.

The rainy season, on the other hand, brings lots of grass and water, so the animals spread out across the park. You can still see these land giants during the wet season, though, because there are so many elephants here.

Other Animals and Wildlife in Tarangire

There are many kinds of animals in this park, like zebras that look for hidden water in dry river beds and up to 300 elephants. Migrating wildebeest, eland, gazelle, impala, zebras, kudu, rhino, hartebeest bison, and other smaller species gather near the lakes that are getting smaller. Dry country antelopes, like the long-necked gerenuk and the fringe-eared Oryx, are also often seen. As in every other northern Tanzanian park, the thick forest usually hides the most dangerous predators, which are always there but hard to find.

Birdlife in Tarangire

Enjoy seeing a wide range of beautiful and unusual birds. About 550 different kinds of birds live in the swamps of Tarangire. Tarangire is a popular hiking spot for people who like to watch birds for long periods of time. Crested francolins, hoopoes, yellow-necked sparrow, hornbills, guinea fowl, steppe eagles, brown parrots, the enormous lappet-faced vulture, white-bellied go away bird, bateleur eagles, moosebirds, Kori bustards, yellow-collared lovebirds, bee-eaters, lilac breasted are some of the common birds to be seen in your Tarangire safari holiday.

The giant baobab tree

Tarangire National Park is also known for the baobab tree, which is also called the \”Tree of Life.\” It has a \”gigantic\” trunk that can hold up to 300 liters of liquid and 1,000 liters of water. They can live up to 600 years, which is a long time. The seeds of this tree are an important food source for many animals. On the other hand, elephants use the bark of these trees to sharpen their huge tusks.

The Wetlands

The park is mostly made up of a large network of lakes, most of which are in the south and east of Tarangire. Elephants, African wild dogs, cape buffaloes, and even tree-climbing pythons live in these marshes. Two bird species that live in this area are the Donaldson-nightjar and the Smith\’s the Vulturine Guinea chicken.

ACTIVITIES TO DOTARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

Game drives and walking tours

In this area, game drives are the most popular safari exercise, but people who live outside the park can go on walking safaris.

Night Game Drives

Can game drives be taken at night in Tarangire? Night game drives are allowed in the park, but not every lodge or tour company offers them. People who have followed all of TANAPA\’s rules and regulations are the only ones who can lead these trips.Balloon Safaris

As you fly over the trees of Tarangire in a hot air balloon, you\’ll get a unique view of animals like lions and ungulates below you.

Bird watching

This is another popular thing to do in Tarangire, Tanzania, where birdwatchers can see many different kinds of birds and have a more enjoyable tour.

Walking safaris

This will help you learn more about the smaller animals in the wild and give you a better idea of how to find them without scaring them away. Take a side trip to a Masaai or Barabaig town with old murals near Kolo on the way to Dodoma to see a different world.

During your Tanzania tour, you can visit Tarangire National Park if you like to see animals and birds. The best time to go on safari in Tanzania and see the most animals is from June to September, during the dry season.