Tarangire lies
to the south of the large open grass
plains of southern Maasai land and
is the best-kept secret on the
northern safari circuit. It offers
wonderful panoramas of wide savannah
grasslands dotted with open acacia
woodland studded with large Baobab
trees. The density of game is second
only to the crowded Ngorongoro
Crater.
This is a year-round park with
distinct seasons offering different
experiences, from dusty, dry and
baking with animals clustered around
the rapidly reducing Tarangire
river, to the fecund green season
full of new-born animals and
chattering birds.
Tarangire is a dry season refuge for
many migratory animals (elephants,
wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, eland
and buffalo), that spend many months
of the year outside the park on
traditional grazing corridors
linking Tarangire with other
protected areas.
Elephants can be seen in herds of up
to 600 at a time, along with masses
of wildebeest, zebra, eland,
hartebeest, buffalo and oryx, who,
migrate from the dry Maasai steppe
to the gleaming Tarangire River in
search of water during the dry
season. The river may reduce in
size, but always provides some water
for these animals who gather in
great numbers along its banks.
Predators never go hungry here.
November to February is the time
of plenty with succulent green
shoots appearing just in time for
the newborn wildebeest and zebra. By
March everything is lush and wild
flowers and butterflies are out in
force. Birds are at their busiest
and more than 550 species have been
recorded.
Some of the Serengeti's largest
buffalo herds are to be found in the
pristine woodlands to the north and
elephants abound in this area too.
For excellent year round game
viewing the Seronera valley in the
centre of the park has abundant
grazing and considerable numbers of
animals including giraffes,
warthogs, reedbucks and many other
species that sustain resident
leopards and large prides of lions.
In the south is the saline Lake
Ndutu which attracts throngs of
flamingoes and in the west the
Grumeti River contains some of the
largest Nile crocodiles you will
ever see.
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