Tarangire National Park is 2,850 square kilometers in area. It is only a small part of a much larger ecosystem of some 30,000 sq. km that comprises most of what is called the Maasai Steppe. From the wide-open plains in the north, south along the Acacia and baobab studded ridges and valleys of the Tarangire River, and across vast seasonal swamps, wildlife gathers in large numbers.
This is the dry season refuge for an enormous swathe of southern Maasailand, and between July and November the wildlife here is in great abundance with buffalos, zebras, wildebeests, ostriches, giraffes, elands etc. This spectacle gathers around the scattered pools of permanent water along the Tarangire river bed, and also around Silale Swamp. Lion and leopard are frequently seen here as well. The huge baobab trees are characteristics of these savannas and have been described by naturalists as a complete ecosystem unto themselves.
Tarangire is one of the finest places in Tanzania to watch elephant and spending unhurried time in the presence of these intelligent giants, often from a vantage point at a waterhole or spring is one of the greatest pleasures of a wildlife safari. Tarangire is also one of the few places in Tanzania where one can find oryx, and more rarely gerenuk and both greater and lesser kudu, and even on occasion’s cape hunting dogs. It is also a birder’s paradise with more resident breeding species than anywhere else in Tanzania. Raptors are everywhere; from the masters of predation and soaring – the martial and bateleur eagles – down to the tiny but vicious pygmy falcon.
This is a year-round park with the distinct seasons offering different experiences, from dry and dusty with animals clustered around shrinking water holes and the trickle of Tarangire River, to the green season full of newborn animals and chattering birds. Activities are Game viewing by vehicle, walking safaris with an armed guide and Night game drives.
