Mikumi National Park

Mikumi National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Mikumi National Park scene

Location	Mikumi near Morogoro, Tanzania
Nearest city	Dar es Salaam
Coordinates	7°12′S 37°08′E / 7.200°S 37.133°E / -7.200; 37.133Coordinates: 7°12′S 37°08′E / 7.200°S 37.133°E / -7.200; 37.133
Area	3230 km²
Established	1964
Visitors	41,666 (in 2012^[1])
Governing body	Tanzania National Parks Authority

The Mikumi National Park is a national park in Mikumi, near Morogoro, Tanzania. The park, established in 1964, currently covers an area of 3230 km² and is the fourth largest in the country. The park is crossed by Tanzania A-7 highway.

Territory

The Mikumi is bordered to the south with the Selous Game Reserve, the two areas forming a unique ecosystem. Two other natural areas bordering the national park are the Udzungwa Mountains and Uluguru Mountains.

Flora and fauna

The landscape of Mikumi is often compared to that of the Serengeti. The road that crosses the park divides it into two areas with partially distinct environments. The area north-west is characterized by the alluvial plain of the river basin Mkata. The vegetation of this area consists of savannah dotted with acacia, baobab, tamarinds, and some rare palm. In this area, at the furthest from the road, there are spectacular rock formations of the mountains Rubeho and Uluguru. The southeast part of the park is less rich in wildlife, and not very accessible.

The fauna includes many species characteristic of the African savannah. According to local guides at Mikumi, chances of seeing a lion who climbs a tree trunk is larger than in Manyara (famous for being one of the few places where the lions exhibit this behavior). The park contains a subspecies of giraffe, that biologists consider the link between the Masai giraffe and the reticulated or Somali giraffe. Other animals in the park are elephants, zebras, impala, eland, kudu, black antelope, baboons, wildebeests and buffaloes. At about 5 km from the north of the park, there are two artificial pools inhabited by hippos. More than 400 different species of birds also inhabit the park.

Tourism

The Mikumi belongs to the circuit of the wildlife parks of Tanzania, less visited by international tourists and better protected from the environmental point of view. Most of the routes that cross the Mikumi proceed in the direction of the Ruaha National Park and the Selous. The recommended season for visiting the park is the dry season between May and November, warm weather and beautiful sites that are a once-in-a-lifetime experience,

Gallery

Mikumi park entrance
Mikumi landscape
Zebras in the park
Mikumi landscape
A lioness in the park
A blue wildebeest trotting
A buffalo in the park
Adansonia digitata in the park

References

↑ "Tanzania National parks Corporate Information". Tanzania Parks. TANAPA. Retrieved 22 December 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mikumi National Park.

National Parks of Tanzania

National Parks	Arusha Gombe Stream Jozani Chwaka Bay Katavi Kilimanjaro Kitulo Lake Manyara Mahale Mountains Mikumi Mkomazi Ruaha Rubondo Island Saadani Saanane Island Serengeti Tarangire Udzungwa Mountains

Reserves	Amani Biharamulo Grumeti Mpanga-Kipengere Ngorongoro Selous Uwanda

Marine Parks and Reserves	Dar es Salaam: Bongoyo Mbudya Pangavini Fungu Yasini Mafia Island Maziwe Island Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary

Organizations	Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) Marine Parks and Reserves Unit (MPRU) Tanzania Wildlife Division Ngorongoro Conservation Authority

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, April 29, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.