NORTHERN TOURIST CIRCUIT
-
ARUSHA
TOWN
- ARUSHA
NATIONAL PARK
-
TARANGIRE
NATIONAL PARK
- LAKE
MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
- NGORONGORO
CRATER
- NDUTU
- OLDUVAI
- SERENGETI
NATIONAL PARK
|
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
 |
A UNESCO
protected World Heritage Site and an International
Biosphere Reserve, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is
situated some 190 km. west of Arusha, between Lake Manyara
and Serengeti National Parks. Covering approximately 8,288
square km, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area consists of
the Ngorongoro Crater itself, the Olduvai Gorge and Ndutu,
the Empakai crater and the Oldonyo Lengai Mountain. The
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a pioneering experiment in
multi-purpose land use where people (the Maasai), their
livestock and wildlife coexist and share the same
protected habitat.
Wild animals are protected as in the National Parks. The
craters of Ngorongoro and Empakai are reserved exclusively
for wildlife, while the rest of the Conservation Area is
shared by wildlife, people and livestock. The Maasai, the
main residents of Ngorongoro, are pastoralists who move
widely with their herds of cattle, sheep, goat and donkeys
in search of pasture and water. In recent years the Maasai
have been encouraged to work on the land and supplement
their traditional diet of milk, blood and meat. The
Ngorongoro Crater, which is the central attraction in the
area, is the largest Caldera in the world that has its
walls intact. The Ngorongoro Crater floor, a sheer drop of
610 metres below the crater rim, has an area of 265 sq.
km, with a diameter of 19 km. The sight of the Ngorongoro
Crater is simply stunning.
“There is nothing with which to compare. It is one of
the wonders of the world....” once wrote Professor
Bernard Grzimek. The crater floor is covered with plains
animals, including wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, elands,
rhino, and a large predator population of lions, hyena and
jackal which can all be viewed at close quarters. Cheetah
and leopard can also be seen here. The rainy season is
between November and May. The altitude
at the crater rim is about 2286 metres above sea level,
and temperatures can get quite chilly in the evening.
Top
|
