Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park boasts the highest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem, making it a haven for predators. It’s one of the few places in Tanzania where dry-country antelope, such as the elegant fringe-eared oryx and the unique long-necked gerenuk, are regularly spotted. The landscape changes dramatically between the wet and dry seasons.

In the dry season, the Tarangire River dwindles, yet it becomes a lifeline for wildlife, attracting animals from hundreds of kilometers away. Large herds of elephants, sometimes numbering up to 300, dig into the riverbed in search of underground water, while migrating wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest, and eland gather around the shrinking lagoons.

During the wet season, these seasonal visitors disperse across a 20,000 sq km area, returning only when the river draws them back as the plains dry out. However, Tarangire’s elephants are a constant presence year-round, and its green swamps provide a permanent habitat for 550 bird species, offering the highest number of breeding species in a single area.

And don’t forget to look up! Tarangire is famous for its tree-climbing pythons, as well as lions and leopards, often found lounging in the branches, cleverly camouflaged by the foliage of sausage trees.