As the sun sucks the last drops of moisture from the
grasses the herbivores are forced to seek waterholes and rivers.
The Tarangire River is a permanent source of water and the animals
know this, so they visit regularly.
A pool provides the mud pack
At times it is almost choked with wildlife, but even
in the early part of the dry season - June and July, there are
many creatures in the park. At the height of the dry season -
September, thirsty nomads have wandered hundreds of parched kilometres
knowing that here, there is always water. Herds of up to 300 elephants
head for the parched river along with wildebeest, zebra, buffalo,
gazelle, hartebeest, eland and oryx. It's a smorgasbord for predators
- the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti.
The rains of February - May scatter the seasonal visitors over
a 20,000 square kilometre (about 12,500 sq miles) range until
they exhaust the green plains and the river calls once more. But
Tarangire's herds of elephant are easily encountered, wet or dry.
The swamps, tinged green year round, are the focus for 550 bird
varieties, the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in
the world. On drier ground you find Kori bustards, the heaviest
flying bird; the stocking thighed ostrich, the world's largest
bird; and ground hornbills that bluster like turkeys. Tarangire's
pythons climb trees, as do its lions and leopards, lounging in
the branches where the fruit of the sausage tree disguises the
dangling tails.
Size: 2600 sq km (about 1600 sq miles).
Location:
118 kms (about 75 miles) southwest
of Arusha.
Getting there: Easy drive from Arusha (2 hours), Lake Manyara
(1 hour), Ngorongoro Crater (3+ hours) and the Serengeti (5 hours).
Charter flights from Arusha and the Serengeti. Please
travel overland as it causes less damage to the environment, and
anyhow most of the journey is through wild country. But if you
insist we will arrange flights.
