Tarangire National Park is most famous for its dense population of elephants. These imposing animals are present in large numbers throughout the year, but are most abundant in the Dry season, particularly from July to November. This is also when zebra, wildebeest and other wildlife in the greater Tarangire migratory ecosystem converge on the park and its namesake river, which forms the only source of drinking water for miles around. In the Dry season, herds of up to 300 elephants can be seen digging for underground streams in the dry riverbeds, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, Coke’s hartebeest and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. Of the big cats, only lion is regularly spotted. There are lots of smaller predators too, such as black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox. Abandoned termite mounds often house dwarf mongoose colonies.
The park’s main feature is the Tarangire River. Although it gets very dry, the landscape is thickly vegetated with acacia shrubs and mixed woodland. Most memorable are the huge baobab trees dotted around in big numbers. The south of Tarangire is dominated by a vast seasonal swamp network.
Tarangire National Park is noted as a safari destination for its elephant population and spectacular baobabs of every shape and colour. The parks name is derived from the Tarangire River, the parks only source of permanent water. In the dry season this river is the lifeline, attracting much of the game. Huge herds of elephant, Zebra, buffalo, wildebeest and rhino and lion enjoy this terrain and are frequently seen. The Tarangire Park is also synonymous with two of the rarer game species; the greater kudu and the Fringe-eared oryx. In addition, leopard and tree-climbing pythons often inhabit the trees. Due to the low volume of traffic in the park, the game is wild, being unaccustomed to vehicles, this offers a truly unique experience. For guests on the Full Game Package, two game viewing drives in open-topped 4WD vehicles are included in the package. Large herds of antelope of all sorts including: eland, lesser kudu, Kongoni, impala, Zebra, gazelles, buffalo, wildebeest, leopard, elephant, rhino and lots of smaller mammals.
A view of the Tarangire National ParkTarangire National Park is a great bird-watching site with more than 500 species recorded. The park harbors several dry-country species at the extremity of their range, such as the northern pied babbler and vulturine guineafowl. Serious bird-lovers should also keep an eye open for flocks of the dazzlingly colorful yellow-collared lovebird and the somewhat drabber rufous-tailed weaver and ashy starling. These three are all restricted to the dry savannah of north-central Tanzania. Migratory birds are present from November to April. Birdlife is plentiful all year round, but bird watching is at its best when the Palearctic and intra-African migratory birds are present (November to April). Many resident birds are nesting during this same time, so it is easy to spot birds in their breeding plumage. Wildlife viewing is best from July to November.
Birds at the Tarangire National Park
