Serengeti National Park (Tanzania). Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. Cultural and natural heritage How the Serengeti National Park is protected

30.10.2019

The cradle of humanity is the second name of the African continent, famous for its inexhaustible natural resources, violent internal conflicts and, of course, unique ecosystems. There are several protected areas on the territory of Africa, and the Serengeti National Park, occupying 14,763 km 2 in eastern Tanzania, is considered to be the most famous and most visited.

Serengeti National Park.

A lion cub sleeps on a fallen tree in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Untouched by civilization, the Serengeti plains are annually visited by thousands of tourists, researchers and connoisseurs of pristine nature in its amazing biodiversity and magnificence of picturesque landscapes. Those who like to tickle their nerves get an incomparable sensation when they find themselves in the animal kingdom in the wild.

Photo of giraffes at sunset in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Cheetah prepares to attack, Serengeti park.

Elephants in the Serengeti, Tanzania.

A lizard (common agama) meets tourists at the entrance to the Serengeti Park.

Huge elephant in Serengeti park.

Vulture in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Cheetah in the rays of the setting sun, Serengeti Park, Tanzania.

Wildebeest at sunset, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

A family of cheetahs under the golden rays of the setting sun.

Antelopes of the Dikdiki genus in the Serengeti.

What is the Serengeti National Park famous for?

A visit to the park is paid, here you can stay in a comfortable hotel or a completely civilized campground, where there are observation platforms, dining pavilions and recreation areas. In the info center of the town of Seronera, every tourist will be offered entertainment, including in the spirit of wild Africa:

safaris - on foot and in closed jeeps;
balloon flight;
visiting a Maasai village.

Do not deprive yourself of the pleasure of visiting the most remarkable places of the Serengeti National Park with a tour:

the Ngorongoro crater, which arose 2.5 million years ago after a catastrophic eruption of a giant volcano;
Olduvai Gorge, the same "cradle of mankind" where the remains of the first hominids on Earth were found;
musical rocks and stone-bell;
Lake Natron - the habitat of a millionth population of flamingos;
Mount God is a young active stratovolcano Ol-Doinyo-Lengai.

But the main thing that attracts thousands of tourists to the Serengeti is the desire to see with their own eyes the great migration of animals - an amazing grandiose spectacle that can be seen every year in autumn and spring. Hunting is strictly prohibited here, all animals in the photo of the Serengeti are protected by law. It's hard to believe, but just over 100 years ago, few people knew about the colossal wastelands of Tanzania with its unique ecosystem. Nevertheless, in a short period of time, thanks to the efforts of researchers and environmentalists, the vast territory has become one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Geography of the Serengeti

The Serengeti National Park is located in the East African Rift Valley. The territory of the park starts from Lake Victoria and continues to the very volcano Kilimanjaro. Its northern part borders on Kenya's Masai Mara Reserve, and the Ngorongoro Crater is located in the southeast.

Plain wastelands and plateaus occupy the southern and central parts of the Serengeti. Forests approach from the west, wooded hills from the north, the total height difference ranges from 920 to 1850 m.

The main waterway of the park is the Grumeti River, which extends to the west, and its wide valley is a corridor along which seasonal migrations of millions of African mammals take place.

A unique feature of the Serengeti is nature preserved from the Pleistocene era. These are granite rocks, whose age is at least 3 million years, and characteristic low-grass vegetation. The lush growth of local grasses is due to the fertile soil of volcanic origin. To top it off, the monsoon climate of the subequatorial zone created favorable conditions for the creation of the richest wildlife in the park.

A lioness looks out for prey from a hill in the Serengeti.

Flora and fauna of the Serengeti

At least 500 species of birds live on the fertile lands of the Serengeti, among them it is worth noting the screaming eagle, Egyptian geese, representatives of the flamingo family and especially the lesser flamingo, which breeds only here, on Lake Natron.

The main objects of attention, photos and videos are members of the African Big Five: lions, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes and elephants. The first place in terms of the number of ungulates is occupied by wildebeest (1.5 million individuals), then Thompson's gazelles (about 900 thousand individuals) and 300 thousand zebras complete the top three.

A lioness rests before a night hunt in the Serengeti National Park.

Zebras in front of a thunderstorm, Tanzania, Serengeti park.

Zebra in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Cheetah in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Mom is nearby, a moment in the life of lions in the Serengeti National Park.

Among the vegetation characteristic of the Serengeti, of interest is the Nile acacia - the main food of giraffes, the myrrh combiphora, ficus and the famous ebony tree with black wood.

During the rainy season, the Serengeti savannas are covered with a silky carpet of juicy low grasses. In the western part of the park near Lake Victoria, grasses grow up to 3-4 m. By the end of autumn, during the drought period, the savannah becomes a sun-scorched wasteland, forcing millions of animals to migrate to the lush pastures of the southern plains, irrigated by tropical rains.

Great Animal Migration in the Serengeti National Park

The ancient instinct of survival drives millions of animals, overcoming 3 thousand km of the way to rich food places and never-drying reservoirs. The first to begin the exodus is a gigantic population of wildebeest, sweeping through an avalanche of many thousands, shrouded in a cloud of red dust. Together with them, zebras go on a journey, then other species of ungulates, and this roaring, sweeping live stream that sweeps everything in its path needs at least 4 tons of grass daily.

But predators cannot be left without prey, so lions, leopards and cheetahs run after the ungulates. The great migration is closed by scavengers - jackals and hyenas. Many animals die on the way, trampled down by relatives or eaten by crocodiles at the crossings over the Grumeti, but then at least 250 thousand cubs are born.

Great Animal Migration in the Serengeti

From April to June, migration occurs in the opposite direction, to the northern and western hills, overgrown with fresh grass.

In numerous photos, the Serengeti is beautiful at any time of the year, but personal impressions of visiting the national treasure of Africa will leave a bright, vivid and indelible mark in your memory.

History of the Serengeti National Park

The Masai, one of the oldest and most famous nomadic African tribes, are considered to be the discoverers of the Serengeti. Even today, the Maasai remain indifferent to the benefits of civilization, they do not have passports, they live in primitive dwellings built from dry dung and drink cow's blood during their sacred rituals.

Once the African savannas were completely controlled by the Masai, and at the end of the 19th century, their tribes leading a semi-nomadic lifestyle reached from the north to the vast wastelands in eastern Tanzania. It was the nomads who gave these lands their name: Serengeti means "endless plains" in Masai. Maasai life is centered around cattle breeding and the fertile plains of the Serengeti are the best suited for grazing.

In 1891, the first European arrived here - the Austro-Hungarian Oscar Bauman, an ethnographer, diplomat and naturalist, who discovered the ecosystem of these places.

At the beginning of the 20th century, in the countries of the Old and New Worlds, they learned about a unique territory in the east of Tanzania, where all representatives of the Big Five of Africa live in abundance at once: a lion, an elephant, a giraffe, a buffalo and a leopard. Since 1913, the Serengeti has become a mecca for hunters of all stripes.

The uncontrolled shooting of animals has led to a sharp decline in the number of many species, which has caused concern to the Tanzanian authorities. In 1921, a part of the Serengeti plains, with an area of only 3.2 km 2, became a hunting reserve, but this did not stop poachers. After 8 years, most of them already received the status of a reserve, and in 1951 the territory was expanded as much as possible and turned into a conservation area - a national park.

The giant Ngorongoro crater on the edge of the Serengeti in 1959 was designated as an independent biosphere reserve with an area of 8288 km 2.

Today, the national park in the east of Tanzania is extremely popular, and millions of tourists from all over the world strive to feel at least for a couple of days in the center of an untouched wildlife in order to bring home stunning photos of the Serengeti and a lot of unforgettable impressions.

Serengeti National African Park

The name of this area and, therefore, the park was given, it means approximately - "extended area". The climate here is specific, it contributes to the riot of life that exists in the park. It also affects their lifestyle.

Usually the Serengeti is dry and warm, but there is also a rainy season, which falls here in our spring - March-May. In October and November there are also precipitations, only they are already smaller.

During the rainy season, landscapes are full of greenery and flowers, but the rest of the time, drought gradually sets in. Then the inhabitants of this National Park migrate to find water to save their lives.

The average temperature does not fluctuate much, it ranges from 15 degrees Celsius to 25. The coolest period in the Serengeti is June-October, especially in the evening.

The African Serengeti National Park also has various landscapes:

south - meadows;
center - savannas;
west - numerous forests and plains;
north - hills with forests;
southeast - volcanic massifs (Ngorongoro).

In all parts you can find a small river, lake or swamp.

Modern landscapes are far from those that were here a very long time ago, when the appearance of the local earth's surface was formed by volcanic activity, then a huge amount of time passed, and natural elements always acted on the earth, forming the current image.

Special conditions allow all kinds of flora and fauna to exist in the vast territories of the park, which are dispersed in different parts of the Serengeti. Among all, the largest number of inhabitants is represented here:

animals - about 35 species;
birds - about 500 species;
reptiles - about 350 species.

Among artiodactyls there are:

wildebeest (more than 2 million individuals);
Thompson's gazelles (about 0.5 million individuals);
zebras (about 0.25 million individuals);
giraffes;
elephants;
rhinos;
porcupines;
baboons and others.

There are also such predators:

about three thousand lions;
cheetahs;
jackals;
leopards;
hyenas.

Known birds:

flamingos;
vultures;
martial eagles;
ostrich era;
storks.

There are also such reptiles:

crocodiles;
lizards;
snakes.

Tourists are attracted by several episodes of the life of wild inhabitants, the main of which is the great migration of ungulates, namely zebras and wildebeests. Millions of herds of these animals rush through the endless and picturesque areas of the Serengeti.

Behind them, predators are sure to go, who do not miss any convenient moment for hunting. And already after them scavengers rush, which are an invariable link in the local food chain.

Such migration occurs in the National Park from February to June. At this time, the herds move towards the north, moving along the eastern part. They go back in September, and until December they get through the western lands to the south.

The rainy period (November-May) forces herbivores to head to the Masai Mara, where fresh pastures are available. When there is no rain, then in the north the plains become almost deserts. And so constantly - the inhabitants of the park are chasing food at distances of a thousand kilometers, constantly risking their lives.

Africa is often associated with different wild animals. Here, the highest density of wildlife, as well as the richest diversity of fauna in comparison with other continents of the Earth.

There are various national parks here. The Serengeti is one of them. By the way, the mainland has the largest number on Earth - 335 pieces. About 100,000 species of insects, 1,100 species of mammals, 3,000 species of fish and 2,600 species of birds have found protection in them. There are also various wildlife sanctuaries, natural parks, national, marine and forest reserves.

The continent is rich in diversity of habitats. The dry savannah plains and tropical rainforests in the Sahara have become a haven for a variety of wildlife. A huge number of fascinating animals live here, some of them are under the threat of extinction. In addition, there is an opinion that this is the place where the first people appeared.

Tanzania

Various national parks are located here. The Serengeti is a famous park that every tourist who wants to explore the real Africa dreams of getting into.

Without a doubt, this place is the most famous treasure trove of wildlife in the whole world. He knows no equal in scientific value and beauty. Africa's Serengeti National Park - the most popular and oldest park in Tanzania - is famous for its annual migrations: more than 6 million pairs of feet trample the plain, while 300,000 gazelles and 200,000 zebras, along with wildebeest, look for fresh food. But in the Serengeti, even without migration, bright herds of huge buffaloes, groups of giraffes and elephants, an incredible amount of swamps, eland, impala, grant and congon gazelles are possible.

Park location

In the region of Tanzania, in which the famous Serengeti Park is located (its map is presented in this article). Its northern neighbor is the Kenyan Masai Mara Reserve, and in the southeast it borders on Ngorongoro.

A bit of history

These lands remained completely wild for a long time. But about a hundred years ago, the Maasai came to this place - northern nomadic tribes who had domesticated cattle.

The first European came to the Serengeti region in 1891 - Oscar Bauman (German), who was an explorer and naturalist. Here, in 1913, the first hunters began their activities. For several years, the process of forming the territory of the reserve took place in this place, which became the basis for the current national park, which it became in 1951. This action was facilitated by an understanding of the need to preserve African wildlife, as frequent hunting could lead to a rapid decline in the number of lions, which at one time were considered pests.

After 8 years, a reserve was allocated from the Serengeti, which was named Ngorongoro.

In 2009, at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the park, scientists reported that these unique lands need to be protected from the frequent arrivals of foreigners, due to which tourism in Africa is now actively developing. To do this, they proposed to limit access to national parks. The Serengeti is not one of them. But travelers today cannot get to Olduvai Gorge, where traces of ancient people are currently being explored. This was done for the purity of research and the safety of all findings.

Name of the park

The name of this area means "extended area". Here the climate is specific, which contributes to the riot of all forms of life. It also affects the way of life of the inhabitants of the area.

Climate

In general, the Serengeti is warm and dry, although there is also a rainy season. Here it is in the spring. Precipitation is also possible in mid-autumn, but it is already much less.

Landscapes in the rainy season are full of flowers and greenery, while the rest of the time, drought gradually sets in. At this time, the inhabitants of the National Park begin to migrate in order to find water to save life.

The air temperature here does not fluctuate much - around 15-25˚С. In the Serengeti, the coolest period is June-October, especially in the evening.

Landscape

The Serengeti National Park also has different landscapes:

center - savannas;
south - meadows;
west - numerous plains and forests;
southeast - volcanoes;
north - forests with hills.

In each part you can find a small river, swamp or lake.

Modern landscapes are very far from the original ones, which were here once upon a time, when the general appearance of the earth's surface was shaped by the activity of volcanoes. Then a lot of time passed, the elements acted on the earth, thus creating the current image, which can be appreciated by looking at the photo of the Serengeti.

Animals

Special conditions make it possible to develop different types of fauna and flora, which are dispersed in national parks. The Serengeti represents the largest population of its inhabitants:

Here among the animals there are:

Thompson's gazelles (more than 0.5 million);
(about 2 million);
zebras (more than 0.25 million);
elephants;
giraffes;
rhinos;
baboons;
porcupines and others.

You can meet other predators:

Famous birds of Africa:

vultures;
flamingos;
storks;
ostriches.

There are also reptiles:

Animal migration

Travelers to the Serengeti reserve are attracted by several fragments from the life of wild inhabitants, the main of which is considered the great migration of ungulates, to be more precise, the wildebeest and zebras. Millions of herds of these animals rush through the picturesque and endless areas of the Serengeti.

They are followed by those who do not miss any suitable moment for a fruitful hunt. Scavengers are already rushing after them, which are an obligatory link in the food chain of these places.

Similar migration in the National Park takes place during February-June. Herds at this time move in a northerly direction, while moving along the eastern part. In September, they head back, and get to December to the south through the western lands.

The rainy period forces herbivores to move to the Masai Mara - fresh pastures are located there. If there is no rain, then the plains in the north become almost deserts. And this happens all the time - the inhabitants of the Serengeti Park (Africa) chase great distances for food, all the while risking their lives.

Conditions for tourists

The national park has all the conditions for a comfortable pastime for tourists. A large number of hotels, campsites and campgrounds provide a comfortable stay for visitors. On the territory of the park there are restaurants where you can have a tasty, satisfying and inexpensive meal. The best time to visit this park is during the dry season. Then tourists can see with their own eyes how the life of predators proceeds. During the wet season it is possible to see how herds of ungulates migrate.

It is worth noting that a visit to the Serengeti will not leave anyone indifferent and will provide even the most sophisticated tourists with emotions for a long time.

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For many years, the wide areas of the Serengeti were practically uninhabited, but a hundred years ago, nomadic Masai tribes arrived from the north, and with them their cattle. In 1891, the first European came here. It was the German naturalist and explorer Dr. Oscar Baumann. In 1913, the first professional hunters from Europe came to the Serengeti.

In 1921, a partial reserve was established in Sarengeti, covering an area of 3.2 km². A full reserve here was formed in 1929, it also served as the basis for the organization of the National Park. As understanding and the need to protect wildlife grew, the reserve expanded, and in 1951 it was transformed into a national park.

The area of \u200b\u200bwhich is 8288 km², was allocated from the Serengeti in 1959. Currently Serengeti national park belongs to the most famous parks in Tanzania and is the second largest after Selous Park.

In 2009 Serengeti park celebrated its 50th anniversary. For scientists, the anniversary served as an occasion to discuss the need for the park to be protected from the increasing flow of tourists, as well as from incompetent development.

Recently, in the eastern part of the park, in the Olduvai Gorge (so-called "cradle of mankind") traces of an ancient man were discovered. According to archaeologists, free access to the excavation site can cause serious harm to research. In this regard, it was decided to close the investigated part of the park to tourists for an indefinite period.

General information, climate and relief of the Serengeti National Park

total area is 14,763 km². The park is located in Tanzania, in the Serengeti region.
In the north, protected areas border Masai Mara reserve, which is located in Kenya and is a continuation of the park. In the southeast of the Serengeti Park is located Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve.

Within the territory of Serengeti National Park, located at an altitude of 910-1890 meters above sea level, dominated by a tropical climate. Daytime temperature fluctuates between 25 - 30°C.

Serengeti National Park and its flora

Most of the protected area is occupied by forests, which mainly consist of ficus and acacia, and ebony can also be seen quite often in them. The park also features granite mountains-outliers "mine". They resemble stone islands that rise in the midst of a boundless sea of grass. Small mounds of stone up to 3 million years old often surround the lands on which the camps, loggias and hotels of the park are located.

Serengeti National Park and its fauna

gained great fame thanks to the richest animal world. About 500 species of birds and three million animals inhabit the plains of the park.

Animal migration can be called one of the features of the Serengeti National Park. Every year, during the drought period (October-November), about 220 thousand zebras and over a million wildebeest.

In April-June, the rainy season begins and wild animals move north and west. Neither predators (for example, crocodiles) that live in rivers, nor drought can stop animals - their instinct is so strong. During this long annual journey, the animals travel a distance of 3,000 km. Scientists have calculated that all this huge biomass needs about 4,000 tons of grass daily. Many animals die on the way, but about a quarter of a million cubs are born at the same time.

In 2005 on the territory Serengeti park discovered the world's largest flock of lions. Zoologists call it LION'pride. It includes 41 lions. Three adult males lead the pride, which also includes nine two-year-old lionesses and eight four-year-old lionesses. Also in the flock live thirteen small lions from four months to one year. Never before in Africa has there been such a large flock as this − "pride Seronera". Regular prides number between 15 and 20 lions.

Big Five leopard in the Serengeti National Park

Within the territory of Serengeti National Park you can see almost all kinds of African animals. This park surpasses all other African national parks in terms of the number of species (plain animals - 35).

The so-called "big five" − lion, rhinoceros, elephant, buffalo and leopard. On the plains you can also meet hyenas, jackals, baboons, giraffes, crocodiles, hippos, as well as herbivorous antelopes, waterbucks, harbingers, Grant's and Thompson's gazelles.

It is a nesting and parking place for more than five hundred species of birds: secretary birds, bustards, ostriches and many small birds.

Serengeti National Park - located in Tanzania and has an area of 14763 square meters. km. To the north, the Serengeti is bordered by the Masai Mara in Kenya, which is an extension of the park. The Serengeti is located at an altitude of 920 to 1850 m above sea level and the terrain varies from long or short grass in the south to hills covered with forests in the north. The Serengeti is characterized by accumulations (over 1.5 million heads) of wild ungulates (antelopes, zebras, buffaloes, rhinos, giraffes, hippos), elephant, lion, cheetah, leopard, hyenas, etc. are common.

The year-round incessant migration of large herds of ungulates looking for water is considered one of the most striking phenomena in the wild.
The name of the area and later the park comes from the Masai word "siringet", meaning "elongated platform". For centuries, the vast wastelands of the Serengeti plains were largely uninhabited, but about 100 years ago, the nomadic Maasai tribes came from the north with their cattle.

The first European who came here, in 1891, was the German explorer and naturalist Dr. Oscar Baumann. And the first European professional hunters came to the Serengeti in 1913 and the Serengeti plains quickly became a place of mass "pilgrimage" of hunters from Europe.

In connection with the danger of extermination of large animals by hunters, a partial reserve with an area of 3.2 square meters was founded in 1921. km, and in 1929 - full, which became the basis for the creation of the National Park. With the growing awareness of the need to protect wildlife, the reserve was expanded in 1951 and transformed into a national park. Currently, the Serengeti Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Object No. 156).