Ranking as the 6th largest National Park in Tanzania and covering an area of 2,600 square kilometers, Tarangire National Park is renowned for its large elephant herds and mini-wildlife migration that takes place during the dry season which sees about 250,000 animals enter the park.
Location of Tarangire National Park
Situated slight off the popular northern Tanzania Safari Circuit, Tarangire lies between the meadows of Masai Steppe to the south east and the lakes of the Great Rift Valley to the north and west. Within the northern part of Tarangire is the permanent River Tarangire also known as the life-line of the park particularly in the dry season when most of the region is totally dry. The river flows northwards until it exits the park in the northwestern corner to pour into Lake Burungi. There are a number of wide swamps which dry into green plains during the dry season in the south.
During your Tarangire Safari, you are highly recommended to stay for a couple of days especially in the south of the park which offers a less crowded safari experience and offers you the opportunity to enjoy an authentic African feel of the Tanzania’s countryside.
Tarangire Vegetation
The permanent Tarangire River is the most dominant feature here and it is after this river that the park gets its name. There are a number of large swamps that feed off some of its tributaries however, these are usually dry for most of the year but get very impassable during the rains.
Tarangire National Park is usually very dry, in fact drier than the Serengeti, however its vegetation is much more green especially with lots of elephant grass, vast areas with mixed acacia woodlands and some of the wonderful ribbons of the aquatic forest not to forget the giant baobab tree that can live up to 600 years storing between 300 and 900 liters of water.
Tarangire Wildlife Migration
Every year during the dry season from June to November Tarangire National Park hosts a wildlife migration which is not as dramatic as the Wildebeest Migration in the Serengeti, but receives a somewhat large number of animals. As most of the part of the area is dry, the Tarangire River remains the only source of water and consequently attracts large numbers of wildebeests, elephants, gazelles, zebras and hartebeests, buffaloes as well as various predators like lions that come to drink and graze around the river banks. During the rain months of November to May. The zebras as well as large herds of wildebeests move into the north – western direction towards the Rift Valley floor amongst the large numbers of animals that spread across the large open areas of the Masaai Steppe and dispersing all the way to Lake Manyara.
Plant Life in Tarangire National Park
Tarangire’s vegetation is much greener with lots of elephant grass, vast areas with mixed acacia woodlands and baobab trees. Next to the acacia, no plant is quite more associated with Africa than the noble baobab, also known as the Tree of Life. The baobab gets its shape from the fact it can store anywhere between 300 and 1000 liters of water within its trunk, able to live up to 600 years, this tree is particularly common in Tarangire National Park.
Also there a number of wide swamps which dry into green plains during the dry season in the south, The dry open woods, like acacia thickets, as well as many of its significant baobab trees make up most of the vegetation of the Tarangire.
Wildlife of Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is home to one of the largest elephant populations in Africa with several herds of up to 300 members per herd. In addition, there are large numbers of impalas, elands, buffaloes, giraffes, Bohor reedbuck, Coke’s hartebeest, Thompson’s gazelles, the greater and lesser kudu and on rare occasions, the unusual gerenuk and fringe-eared Oryx are also seen. A few black rhinos are also present in this park, you will also see big numbers of elephants as well as the wildebeests and zebras.
Other common animals in Tarangire are leopards, lions, hyenas, and cheetah that are popular within the southern open areas. The wild dogs are only seen once in a while.
Birds in Tarangire National Park are quite many, there are over 545 species that have been identified here. Some of these birds include Yellow-necked spurfowl, Helmeted Guineafowl and Crested Francolin, Lilac-breasted rolers, barbet and mousebirds, striped swallows and starlings, swifts, hammerkops, bee eaters, cordon bleus and owls plovers, Hoopoes, Hornbills, White-bellied Go-away-bird and Brown parrots among others.
Activities in Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is an ideal destination for those who want to explore beyond game drives. There are a number of options to explore the region on walking safari which give you the opportunity to study the smallest creatures and learn about tracking animals. For a completely different perspective, however, you can soar through the sky in a hot – air balloon at dawn or head out on a night drive to find nocturnal wildlife. There are so many incredible ways to explore this amazing place and our local knowledge and resources to make this happen.
Game Drives and Walking Tours
Game drives and walking tours are the primary Tanzania Safari activity in Tarangire National Park , these amazing activities offer you the opportunity to explore the park and spot several animals including large herds of elephants, lions, zebras, elephants, baboons among others.
Night Game Drives
Night game drives also known as nocturnal safaris are allowed in Tarangire, not all accommodations offer these tours, only those that have properly established all the requirements and regulations offered by TANAPA such as Swala and Oliver’s camps are allowed to conduct these walks.
Tarangire Balloon Safari
Soar above the savannah plains of Tarangire National Park and enjoy an eye’s view of the animals including large herds of elephants, lions among other ungulates right below you.
Best Time for a Tarangire National Park Safari
During the dry season, Tarangire has the highest concentration of mammals in the country. From late June to October thousands of animals migrate to Tarangire from Lake Manyara National Park, and animals tend to congregate around Tarangire River. This makes for one of the greatest safari experiences in Africa.
Keep in mind that July to October marks the high season, with many tourists filling the park. While the low season is less busy it also comes with more rain, and due to the tall grass cover animals are a bit harder to spot.