Day after day of cloudless skies as the fierce sun bakes the earth a dusty red. The Tarangire River in the dry season has shriveled to a shadow of it’s wet season self but it is swamped with wildlife. Thirsty nomads have wondered hundred of thirsty kilometers knowing that here, always, there is water. Herds of up to 300 Elephants scratch the dry river bed for underground streams, while migratory Wildebeest, Zebra, Buffalo, Impala, Gazelle, Hartebeest and Eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. It's the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem - a haven for predators – and the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as the stately Fringe-eared Oryx and peculiar long-necked Gerenuk are regularly observed. During the rainy season, the seasonal visitors scatter over a 20,000 sq km area until they exhaust the green plains and the river calls once more. But Tarangire's mobs of elephant are easily encountered, wet or dry. The swamps, tinged green year round, are the focus for 550 bird varieties, the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. On drier ground you find the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird; the stocking-thighed Ostrich, the world's largest bird; and small parties of Ground Hornbills blustering like turkeys. More ardent bird-lovers might keep an eye open for screeching flocks of the dazzlingly colourful yellow-collared Lovebird, and the somewhat drabber rufous-tailed Weaver and ashy Starling – all endemic to the dry savannah of north-central Tanzania. Disused termite mounds are often frequented by colonies of the endearing Dwarf Mongoose, and pairs of red-and-yellow Barbet, which draw attention to themselves by their loud, clockwork-like duetting. Tarangire's pythons climb trees, as do it’s lions and leopards, lounging in the branches where the fruit of the sausage tree disguises the twitch of a tail.
Size
2600 sq kilometers
Location
Southwest of Arusha
Getting There
Easy drive from Arusha or Lake Manyara with options to carry on to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. Charter flights are available from Arusha and Serengeti.
When to go
Year round but dry season best (June to September) for sheer numbers of animals.
Highlights
• Guided Walking Safaris
• Day Trips to Maasai and Barabaig Villages
• Ancient Rock Paintings
• Bird Watching
• Huge concentration of Game in Dry Season
• Fringe-eared Oryx and Gerenuk are regularly observed.
• Tree Climbing Lions
