Tarangire National Park is a protected area located in Tanzania's Manyara Region. The park's name comes from the Tarangire River, which flows through it. This river is the main source of fresh water for animals in the Tarangire Ecosystem during the dry season. The Tarangire Ecosystem is characterized by the long-distance movement of wildebeest and zebras. During the dry season, thousands of animals gather in Tarangire National Park from areas where they live and give birth during the wet season.

The park covers an area of about 2,850 square kilometers (1,100 square miles). Its landscape includes rocky hills, river valleys, and wetlands. The plant life consists of Acacia trees, Combretum trees, grasslands that flood seasonally, and Adansonia trees.

Flora and fauna

The park is well known for having many elephants and large baobab trees. During the dry season from June to November, visitors often see large groups of thousands of zebras, wildebeests, and cape buffalo. Other animals that live in the park include waterbuck, giraffes, dik-dik, impalas, elands, Grant's gazelles, vervet monkeys, banded mongooses, and olive baboons. Predators found in Tarangire include lions, leopards, cheetahs, caracals, honey badgers, and African wild dogs.

The oldest known elephant to have twins is in Tarangire. In the Tarangire National Park of Tanzania, a recent birth of two healthy elephant twins shows how these animals can survive despite challenges.

The park is home to more than 550 bird species, making it a popular place for birdwatchers. It is also famous for the many termite mounds found in the area. Some of these mounds, which are no longer used by termites, are often lived in by dwarf mongooses. In 2015, a giraffe with white fur due to a condition called leucism was seen in the park. Research in the area focuses on African bush elephants and Masai giraffes.

Since 2005, the protected area has been recognized as a Lion Conservation Unit.

Location and access

Tarangire National Park is accessible by a paved road located south of Arusha and can be reached in less than two hours. Lake Manyara National Park is a 70-kilometer (43-mile) drive from Tarangire National Park.