Tourist attractions in Tarangire national park
Tourist attractions in Tarangire national park : Tarangire national park is one of Tanzania’s most underrated national parks but greatly gifted with nature and wildlife, the park is found in the northern safari circuit of Tanzania in Manyara region with Arusha as the nearest town. Tarangire national park derives its name from river Tarangire which crosses through the park and the main water source in the park, the park was established in 1970 and stretches over vast area of 161,790 square kilometers.
Tarangire national park is a breathtaking national park with many tourist attractions which make it the one of the best national parks in Tanzania, attractions in Tarangire national park include
Wildlife
Tarangire national park is an outstanding habitat for wildlife that is animals and birds which habit in the swamp, woodland and Savannah plains of the park.
Animals
Tarangire national park is an excellent home for many species of animals and ranked as the second habitant with huge concentration of animals outside the famous Serengeti ecosystem, the park has been recognized for hosting 3 Tanzania endemic species that is fringe-eared Oryx, greater kadu and tiny Ashy starling. The other most iconic habitant in Tarangire national park is the large herds of elephants mounting up to 300 individuals which are sighted on the dry river bed of underground streams and green plains, baobab trees and acacia woodland of the park. Other animals in Tarangire national park include lions, hyenas, wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, gazelles, hartebeests, impalas, elands and many more
These animals are sighted around Tarangire River as they come to drink water most especially in the dry season as they come to the river to drink water.
Birds
Tarangire national park is a birding paradise for bird enthusiasts, the park hosts over 550 bird species which live in the termite mounds, swamps, woodlands and savannah plains of the park. Bird species in Tarangire national park include hoopoes, hornbills, brown parrots, and the white-bellied go away bird as well as game birds such as the helmeted guinea fowl, yellow necked spurfowl, crested francolin, yellow-collared lovebirds, lilac breasted rollers, Mousebirds, swifts, striped swallows, starlings, bee-eaters, Hammerkops, plovers, Kori bustards, Bateleur eagles, steppe eagles, the gigantic lappet-faced vulture, African grey flycatcher, Ashy starling, Bare-faced go-away bird, Donaldson-Smith’s nightjar, Great white pelican, Mouse-coloured penduline tit, Northern pied babbler, Northern white-crowned shrike, Ostrich, Pink-breasted lark, Rufous-tailed weaver, Slate-coloured boubou, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Vulturine Guinea fowl, Yellow-collared lovebird and many more. Among the birds in Tarangire national park there is endemic species, near endemic species and migratory bird species which are present in the park in the period of November to April.
Kolo rock art site
Kolo rock art site in Tarangire national park is an exciting site located on the outskirts of the park ranked as a world heritage site, Kolo rock art site displays ancient rocks and in this site is open to the public to enjoy the sight of these ancient rocks on a display and many artifacts left behind by the ancient hunter gatherers. This site displays the ancient life of the early inhabitants of Tanganyika before being renamed to Tanzania.
Swamps
Tarangire national park is greatly gifted when it comes to the sense of nature, the park is dominated by a series of networks which are dotted around the eastern and southern region of the park, swamps in Tarangire national park are habitants to a huge population of animals and birds living in the park and they are the best site to visit while on a game viewing experience. While in the swamps you get to encounter and enjoy sights of animals like Cape buffalo, elephants, silale swamp lions, African wild dogs, tree climbing pythons and many more. These swamps are a great birding paradise for bird watching experience, the birds living and sighted in these swamps include Donaldson-Smith’s nightjar, Great white pelican, Mouse-coloured penduline tit, Northern pied babbler, Northern white-crowned shrike, Ostrich, Pink-breasted lark, Rufous-tailed weaver, Slate-coloured boubou, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Vulturine Guinea fowl, Yellow-collared lovebird, White-faced Whistling-Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck and many more.
Wildebeest migration
The annual wildebeest migration is one of the world’s spectacles and an amazing sight to see, the wildebeest migration involves the movement of thousands of wildebeests, gazelles and zebras as they move from Serengeti national park in Tanzania to Masai mara national reserve in Kenya. In migrating cycle of the annual wildebeest migration as the animals cross both Mara River into Masai mara national park and river Grumeti into Serengeti national park the animals also cross through the plains of Tarangire national park. In Tarangire national park the migration of wildebeests can be witnessed in the period of June and November every year while on their way.
Baobab trees
Tarangire national park is a historical and naturally amazing park, the park is dominated by the breathtaking and historical baobab trees which are the major attraction in the park. Baobab tree are distinctly shaped trees storing littles of 300- 1000 liters of water in their bloated trucks and other parks of the tree, these trees are living trees noticed to be over 600 years old. Baobab trees are host an amazing legendary tale, these trees are said to be moving creatures which used to walk around on the surface of earth using their roots. Unfortunately there movement annoyed the creator God who punished them and stopped their movement thus planting them in one place upside down with their rooms up so that they couldn’t move any more.
Baobab trees’ barks are usually used by elephants to sharpen their tusks and they also eat them as food, because of the reason these trees are always crowded by many elephants and it is a best spot to see them.
Best time to visit Tarangire national park
Tarangire national park is a beautiful and entertaining tourist destination to visit while on a safari and the best time to visit Tarangire national park for a safari is during the dry seasons. Dry seasons in the park are received in the period of August to October, in the dry period animals gather at watering holes such as river Tarangire to drink water and the river is the best site to visit while on a game drive in Tarangire national park. Also in the dry season the routes used when driving through the park are relatively dry and less slippery, the grass in the park are also short giving you sights of the animals.
