Tanzania - the country is not very big: in the world it takes the 30th place, and in Africa - the 13th. However, here, perhaps, like nowhere else, pay much attention to the ecology and conservation of nature in its original form. National parks of Tanzania - and there are as many as 15 of them! - attract the largest number of tourists to the country - the state is considered one of the best for ecotourism in the world. They are managed by the National Park Service of Tanzania, which employs more than 1,600 people.
The oldest parks
Perhaps the Serengeti Park in Tanzania is one of the most famous. This park was created the very first: the date of granting it the status of a national park - in 1951, and before that it was considered a protected territory. The Serengeti National Park and the largest in Tanzania: its area is 14,763 square kilometers. km. It is believed that the nature of the Serengeti has remained unchanged for the last million years, so the park attracts not only a huge number of tourists, but also scientists. In addition, he is known for the fact that the remains of homo habitus (now stored in the Olduvai gorge museum ) were found in the Olduvai gorge on its territory.
In 1960, the park was opened Arusha , famous for its crater lakes, large forests and alpine meadows. There are more than 200 species of mammals, about 120 reptiles and more than four hundred species of birds. The same year was the year of foundation and one of the most famous reserves of the world - Lake Manyara , most of which, especially in the rainy season, occupies the same lake . This park is famous for its abundance of birds, including pink flamingos, as well as unique lions that climb trees.
Mikumi Park in Tanzania, too, can be attributed to the oldest - it received the status of a national park in 1964. Its main attraction is the flooded meadows of Mkata, the plant world of which is very rich and interesting. Here live cannes - the world's largest antelope. In the same year, the Ruach Park began its work, which is a transit territory, through which representatives of the fauna of the southern and eastern parts of the country migrate. Here lives the largest population of elephants in East Africa. In 1968, the Gombe Stream park was opened, which is by far the smallest in the country (its area is only 52 square kilometers). The park is home to a large number of different kinds of primates; Chimpanzees alone are home to about a hundred. In the park is a project to study these primates.
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1970s-1990s
In the next 30 years, such parks of Tanzania as Katavi , Tarangire, Kilimanjaro , Mahali Mountains , Udzungwa Mountains and Rubondo Island were created. Katavi Park occupies the third place in area (it is 4471 sq. Km); in this territory are located marshes, seasonal lakes, as well as meadows and forests. Tarangire attracts visitors not only with a great variety of animals and birds, but also with ancient rock carvings. The snow cap of Mount Kilimanjaro - the heart of the reserve - is a visiting card of Tanzania; about 10 thousand tourists annually strive to conquer the summit of this highest mountain in Africa.
Mahali Mountains, like Gombe Stream, is home to a large number of chimpanzees, colobus and other primates that live in moist forests; in the dry forests of the miombo, which occupy about 75% of the park area, antelopes live. The Rubondo Island National Park occupies the island of Roubondo and a few smaller islands; this is a favorite holiday destination for lovers of fishing. Most of the reserve is occupied by moist forests, where a lot of orchids grow. The most exotic inhabitants of the reserve are the water antelope sitatunga. Udzungwa Mountains is the habitat for rare birds, many of which are threatened with extinction, and six varieties of primates, two of which are endemic.
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"Young" Parks
In the 21st century, several national parks were also opened in Tanzania: in 2002, Kituno Park, which was called the "Garden of God", was launched due to the great diversity of plant life: it harbors more than 30 species of endemic Tanzanian plants and several endemic species of the local area, and 45 species of orchids and many other plants. Park Saadani, opened in 2005, is the only park on the coast. It is famous for its mangrove forests. In 2008, the Mkomazi Park was established on the border with Kenya, famous for the fact that there are animals that are not characteristic of the rest of the country (for example, the oryx and the herenuki).
In addition, more recently, another safari park was created in Tanzania - Saanane. This park is located on the island of the same name and is the second largest national park after the Roubondo. Here you can see a lot of different animals, including the only living here green marmosets.
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