TANZANIA, A NOAH’S ARK
By Fausta Filbier
It is the Africa of animals. Of lions, elephants, gazelles, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, leopards, crocodiles…. Whoever goes to Tanzania can be certain not to miss a single one. Absolute masters of a country with 17 National Parks, 3 Biosphere Reserves recognized by UNESCO, numerous forest, marine, and natural conservation areas, 4 wetlands, equal to more than a third of its territory (more than 300,000 sq km), a much more substantial portion compared to that of most of the world’s richest countries. Not to mention the 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Kilimanjaro National Park and the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the historic center of Stone Town in Zanzibar.
A trip to this part of the Black Continent guarantees an immersion in record-breaking nature: here are the sources of two of the world’s major rivers, the Nile and the Congo; here are Lake Victoria, the largest in Africa and the third largest in the world, and Lake Tanganyika, which, at 1,435 meters, is among the deepest. The Great Rift Valley passes through here, that large tectonic depression that is 30 to 100 km wide and ranges from a few hundred to several thousand meters deep, flanked by mountains such as Kilimanjaro, at 5,895 meters the highest peak on the continent, Mount Meru (4,566 meters), and the crater of the Ngorongoro volcano which, with its 20 km diameter and 700 meters depth, is among the largest in the world. Nature tourism here is not just wildlife observation, but makes a fundamental contribution to the state’s GDP (10%). Today, Tanzania is the best place for an African safari, because sightings of the famous Big Five (lion, buffalo, elephant, rhinoceros, leopard) are guaranteed, as well as millions of ungulates in perpetual search of water and pasture. An immense concentration of animals, among the largest in the world, which makes Tanzania a permanent, immense natural zoo.
First stop Arusha, a small town at an altitude of 1,400 meters at the foot of Mount Meru, and the undisputed heart of the parks of northern Tanzania, all within a 250-kilometer radius. The closest, Arusha National Park, about forty kilometers away, is worth a day trip. The landscape is very beautiful, and if the sky is clear, the view of Mount Kilimanjaro is spectacular. Here you immediately enter the world of animals: you encounter giraffes, hippos, elephants, buffaloes, white colobus monkeys (endemic to the park), and pink flamingos near the Momella Lakes.
The scenery changes as you reach Tarangire National Park, less famous but one of the most beautiful for its variety of landscapes: from hilly terrain to rocky ridges, to ponds, passing through areas rich in acacia trees. This is the realm of herds of elephants numbering over 400, of lions, leopards, cheetahs, buffaloes, but also of rare animals such as elands and gerenuks (two species of antelopes), as well as 300 species of birds and waterfowl, and large pythons. With a surprise: the large number of baobab trees. Right next door is Lake Manyara National Park, a small park (352 sq km) where rivers, lakes, rainforest, and shrubby savanna blend together. A very varied environment rich in fauna, so much so that binoculars are not needed during safaris. The animals are so numerous that you get the unsettling impression of being surrounded. But be careful: if you want to spot lions, you have to look up. Because in this park, the kings of the jungle, bothered by particularly numerous flies, do not lie crouched in the savanna but rest on the largest branches of the acacia trees.
Serengeti National Park is just a few kilometers to the northwest. The endless undulating plains perfectly define the meaning of its name in the Maasai language (Serengeti or Siringitu): the place where the land never ends. A spectacular ecosystem spanning 14,763 sq km where millions of animals move in constant search of grass and prey. Some figures? More than 2 million wildebeest, 1 million Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, 300,000 zebras, 90,000 impalas, 82,000 buffaloes, 20,000 elands, 12,000 giraffes, 7,000 elephants, 6,000 hyenas, 3,000 lions, 500 cheetahs, and 100 rhinoceroses. Here, the days pass at a slow, almost hypnotic pace, between photo safaris at dawn, during the day, and at night… And in each vegetation area, you encounter different animals: from the grassy savanna without trees, the realm of zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, cheetahs, lions, to the shrubby savanna, dominated by umbrella acacias where you can spot leopards, giraffes, dik-diks, and an endless number of birds, to the waterholes with crocodiles basking in the sun and hippos.
The immense caldera of the Ngorongoro Crater alone is worth the trip. Walls 700 meters high with a diameter of 18 kilometers, it dates back to the volcanic activity of the last 2.5 million years and preserves within it the highest density of wildlife on earth (25,000 large animals), represented by almost all species. An African Noah’s Ark with one of the most magnificent sceneries on the continent: the view from above is unforgettable, just as it is thrilling to descend the steep slopes and pass, in a matter of minutes, from the cold and foggy climate to the dry heat of the bottom with its salt lake.
From here, trekking enthusiasts can venture to the nearby craters of Oloti and Empakaai. Or climb the perfect cone of Ol Doinyo Lengai, the last still-active volcano in Tanzania, sacred to the Maasai, who call it the Mountain of God. Spectacular for its low viscosity and temperature eruptions: the lava, dark as mud, then turns white as soon as it comes into contact with the water of nearby Lake Natron. A cold magma based on sodium and potassium carbonate, which are the cause of the lake’s salinity. Located near the Rift Valley, it shows red waters that barely reach 3 meters in depth. It is the only breeding ground for about 2.5 million lesser flamingos, an endemic and rare species threatened with extinction, which feed on a blue-green microalgae (Spirulina platensis) with red pigments. It is what colors the waters and the plumage of the flamingos. Predators cannot reach the nests here: the sun can heat the mud up to 50 degrees Celsius, while the high alkalinity makes the environment caustic and difficult to bear, except for the flamingos and a particular species of fish, Oreochromis alcalica. A place that doesn’t seem to be of this world.
