Tarangire Primer

Well-known for its herds of elephant and its rugged terrain, Tarangire (pronounced with a hard "g") National Park should also be known for its spectacular baobab trees, its seasonal concentrations of zebra and wildebeest, its rocky hills, and its swampy "black cotton" volcanic soil. The stunning variety of Tarangire's wildlife surpasses that of any other place in Tanzania, at least during the dry season, and with the possible exception of Ngorongoro Crater, as thousands of animals hunt and flee through an ecosystem rich with contour, colour, and natural drama. Located south of the plains of Maasailand and east of Lake Manyara, a three-hour drive from the town of Arusha, Tarangire is the fourth-largest national park in Tanzania.

During the dry season, which corresponds to summer and early fall in the United States (July-October), the Tarangire River serves water to elephant herds up to 300 members strong, big cats like lions, cheetahs and leopards, hoofed beasts from zebra to klipspringer to dikdik, seldom-seen creatures like kudus and oryx, tough characters like warthogs, hyenas, and African wild dogs, and the gentle giraffe, harems of baboons, hippos--the list could go on. Water levels remain high enough to make the river a permanent source of water. Animals typically gather twice daily along its winding banks, where the smaller ones hide in tall reeds and elephant grass.

Away from the river, wildlife may rely on baobab trees that become hollow and fill with rainwater. Baobabs are truly hardy trees. They can survive having their bark peeled, which is why they constitute a renewable source of material for people who use woody fibres to weave mats and make ropes. They can also survive elephant gorings, in moderation, which occur when food becomes scarce and elephants resort to eating woody pulp. The massive, compound trunk of the baobab tree, wrapped in silvery bark, rises to form a tangle of branches that curve and taper until they are reduced to mere squiggles of wood.

The Tarangire landscape transforms when the rains begin to fall. During the "green season" from November through March, and the "long rains" during April and May, greenery abounds. The baobabs grow leaves, giraffes forage for acacia, leopards hide in the cool foliage, and rock pythons glide up leafy trees near the swamps. A scene that looks vibrant and green in February will have turned ochre, yellow, and brown by August.

Stunning birds concentrate in Tarangire. West of the river, near the centre of the park, stands Kitibong Hill. Herds of Cape buffalo favour the surrounding acacia parkland.

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