also on this website: Kilimanjaro
Mount Meru Arusha
NP Lake Manyara NP
Ngorongoro Crater
Arusha National Park, Tanzania
A Game Drive through the smallest National Park of Tanzania
Arusha National Park has just 137 square meters. The Park abounds not only
with its variety of fauna, but the outstanding beauty of its countryside.
Vast meadows, dense rain forest, the volcanic crater Ngurdoto and the
Momella Lakes offer something for everybody. The volcano Mount Meru also
belongs to the park. With its peak at 4.566 meters, it is Africa's 5th
highest mountain. 100 years ago Lava was still flowing here.
Even if you prefer not to climb to the top of Meru the mountain is still worth a closer visit to
its magical cloud forest, which reaches up to a height of 3.000 meters.
To see most of the park half a day will suffice. Climbers, whose only
purpose is to ascend Kilimanjaro should not miss to visit the nearby
Arusha National Park when waiting for the evening flight back to
Amsterdam. Tour operators are able to offer ad hoc tours.
(click to enlarge photo)
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Serengeti Ndogo - the little Serengeti.
That's the name of the plain, one passes soon after entering the main
gate.
Buffalos, giraffes, warthogs roam the area. |
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Momella Lakes.
Retreat for flamingos, ducks, waders. With a little luck hippos can be
seen close-by.
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Blue Monkey.
Whole families can be watched beside the narrow street. The monkeys
live together in groups of up to 20 members. They are omnivores, but
mainly they live vegetarian. They can get 20 years old.
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Waterbuck.
One of the most common animals in Arusha National Park. It is an
antelope, which loves to stay close to the water. With its body and
size it reminds of red deer.
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The waterbuck's horns reaches a length
of one meter. |
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Bushbuck.
Bushbucks are a bit smaller than waterbucks. They prefer to hide in the wood and shrubberies.
They also live in great heights. I met 3 bushbucks while walking near
Saddle Hut which is at 3.500 meters.
Their enemies are cheetah and leopard which are not present in Arusha
NP.
(there is a baboon in the background, also very common in the park) |
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Sausage tree (Kigelia pinnata)
The tree only works as a nice frame for the trio of giraffes.
Giraffes prefer the leaves of acacias, which they skilfully pick out
between the long thorns. Giraffes are ruminants. The food has to cover
quite a distance on its way down and up again!
The locals have a nickname for the
giraffe: Miss Tanzania. |
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Giraffes grow up to 5,80 meters,
they weigh up to 800 kilos and they can run at a speed of up to 50K/h.
There hooves are a serious arm.
In Arusha National Park giraffes can be admired very close-by, like
seen here. You can deeply look in their eyes.
Note how different their faces can appear. |
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This is probably a wader of the family of sandpipers (Tringa). Maybe a
Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis).
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Familiar birds, met again in Africa!
Barn-swallows enjoy the winter in the South. |
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The little ducks appear too small in this photo to be identified.
But you might get another impression of the variety of animals which
can be seen in the park. |
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Scaly frankolin
francolinus squamatus
The scaly frankolin is a member of the family of pheasant-like game
birds.
(thanks to
Brigitte for the hint)
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Guereza,
Colobus Monkey,
(Colobus guereza)
Colobus monkeys are the trade mark of Arusha
NP. They are not
easy to photograph because they mostly stay high within the green top
of trees and their long black and white hair conceals their outlines.
The long
hair works like a parachute when
jumping from one tree to another. The Guerezas were nearly extinct at
beginning of 20th century
because their fur was very
fashionable.
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View from Momella Lakes to Mount Meru.
At the front the scondary crater can be spotted. It was still active
100 years ago.
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Literature (Amazon UK - commissions are donated without any
cuttings)
Links
Arusha National
Park official site
GORP Away private site, extensive information on Arusha Park, a
must to visit
Paul Gross
very nice page, english
Momella Lodge
stay at the Hardy-Krüger-Lodge at the border of the park
also on this website: Kilimanjaro
Mount Meru Arusha
NP Lake Manyara NP
Ngorongoro Crater
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