subject: Serengeti National Park - Tanzania's Pride And Joy [print this page] A large proportion of Tanzania's land is taken up in national parks. National Parks are large expanses of land which are protected by the government or other environment preservation agencies, leased out to safari companies to generate some revenue. Out of these, one of the most famous is the Serengeti.
Located in North Tanzania along the Tanzania-Kenya border, the Serengeti is a 14000+ sq km expanse that houses an equally diverse range of plant and animal species and physical features. From the extensive grasslands that seem to go on till the horizon to the "black cotton" trail and the hills and woodlands, the Serengeti offers a variety of sights and sounds for travelers in each of its little sections.
Wildlife in the Serengeti varies according to location and season. In the winter and spring, the rolling, treeless plains house wildebeest - who breed in that period of time. Once the rains arrive, other ungulates (hoofed animals) e.g. the zebra, impala, topi, hartebeest, buffalo, waterbuck and gazelle also appear in herds.
The Serengeti grasslands boast of a unique geographical feature called the kopje. A kopje is a floration of granite, which can be used as a sy-post by predators, and also as shelter for reptiles from the hot equatorial sun. The highly endangered Black Rhino can also be found near these kopjes, as can the hyrax and python.
The above mentioned "black cotton" corridor lies in western Serengeti, covering swampy savannah grasslands. Grumeti river, which passes through the area, is inhabited by Nile crocodiles, with martial eagles and colobus monkeys also present nearby.
Northern Serengeti deserves an article all to itself, with its vast and open woodlands, the beautiful and sparkling Mara river, and the hills near the centre of Serengeti. Here, the migrating wildebeest and zebras are found in July, August and November, accompanied occasionally by giraffe, dik dik or elephants.
The Serengeti also possessed a healthy number of carnivores - hunters and scavengers - to keep the herbivores in check. The majestic African lion thrives in the Serengeti due to the large amounts of prey, while "lesser" predators like the wily leopard or the elegant cheetah are also present albeit in lesser numbers.
Out of the 500+ species of birds found in Serengeti National Park, some of the most prominent are the ostrich, the Kori bustard, the secretary bird, the marabou stork and the crowned crane.
The best time to visit the Serengeti is undoubtedly the winter or spring, when the herds of wildebeest pass through the park. Watching the wildebeest with their accompanying herds of Plain Zebras, though, is always a treat. The two animals live and migrate together in near-perfect harmony, indulging in a symbiotic relationship whereby the wildebeest form a circle around the zebras to help in withstanding outside attacks together and the zebras chew up the taller, low-nutrition grass to help the wildebeest reach the shorter, high-protein grass below.
As Serengeti is located in an equatorial area, even the winter there will seem warm to people living in temperate climates. So if you are at a loss for Christmas or spring vacation plans, book yourself a safari to Tanzania's Serengeti!
by: Gen Wright
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