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Tarangire National Park Facts

Tarangire National Park Facts
Tarangire National Park is a 1,100 square mile park located in Tanzania, in Africa. The park is named after the Tarangire River, the only source of water for the wildlife in the region during the dry season. The park is home to very diverse vegetation, unlike any others in the northern safari destination. Tarangire National Park contains a very large wildlife concentration, including the largest species of Africa's animals, and hundreds of bird species. The park was established in 1970 and is most famous for its large diversity of wildlife, vegetation, birds, tree-climbing lions, and baobab trees.
Interesting Tarangire National Park Facts:
Tarangire National Park is Tanzania's sixth largest of its national parks.
There are more breeding species of birds found in Tarangire National Park than anywhere else on the planet.
Tarangire River flows through the park and becomes the only water source for thousands of migrating animals in the dry season.
Baobab trees, common in Tarangire National Park, can grow to have trunks reaching more than 100 feet in circumference. One of these trees was once found that proved to be 1275 years old, although not in this park.
Tree-climbing lions are common in Tarangire National Park. They frequently hide in the branches of sausage trees. Leopards and pythons also like to lounge in the branches of the sausage tree and other tree species in the park.
Termite mounds are often seen in the park. Dwarf mongooses make use of the termite mounds once the termites have abandoned them.
Wildlife found in Tarangire National Park includes lions, leopards, cheetahs, various primates, ostriches, flamingoes, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, gazelles, buffaloes, wildebeests, pythons, hartebeests, elands, and impalas.
The best time to visit Tarangire National Park for viewing wildlife is between June and October when large herds are migrating into the park, and the vegetation has thinned out. This is also the dry season in Tarangire National Park.
From November to May many of the animals that migrated to Tarangire National Park during the dry season leave again and it is not the best time to visit. This is the wet season in the park.
Because there are an estimated 700 lions living in Tarangire National Park they are one of the more commonly sighted animals.
Tarangire National Park is believed to have the largest elephant concentration in the world. After Serengeti National Park it has the second highest wildlife concentration in Tanzania.
Elephant herds in Tarangire National Park often reach 300 or higher in terms of population numbers.
Some of the more interesting birds that can be found in Tarangire National park include the yellow-collared lovebirds, the Kori bustard (heaviest flying species of bird), the largest bird - the stocking-thighed ostrich, and hornbills.
A white giraffe was spotted in Tarangire National Park in 2015. The white color is due to leucism - partial loss of pigmentation.
Visitors to Tarangire National Park can enjoy safaris, wildlife viewing, bird watching, and stay in rustic accommodations or luxurious lodges.
In 2012 there were more than 161,000 visitors to Tarangire National Park.


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