Created 20-May-12
Modified 21-May-12
It is the vast number of baobabs that first capture the eye as you enter Tarangire National Park. The gently rolling countryside is dotted with these majestic trees, which seem to dwarf the animals that feed beneath them.
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.
Tarangire National Park covers approximately 2,600 square kilometers and, in the dry season, is second only to Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area in concentrations of wildlife. Tarangire lies to the 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.
© Alice Coyl