10th July, Tarangire

Tarangire National Park is a national park in Tanzania.

Tarangire NP is a quiet, seasonal park with wide views to distant volcanic mountain ranges. Tarangire covers 2600 sq km of grassland and floodplains, and a large proportion of tall acacia woodland just south of the open grass plains of southern Maasailand.

Tarangire National Park is the sixth largest national park after Ruaha, Serengeti, Mikumi, Katavi and Mkomazi. The name of the park originates from the river which crosses at the middle of the park, the river is the only source of water for wild animals during dry seasons. The park is famous for its huge number of elephants, baobab trees and tree climbing African pythons.

Sunset with a baoba tree

It lies a little distance to the south east of Lake Manyara and covers an area of approximately 2,850 square kilometres. It is named after the Tarangire River that flows through the park.

Tarangire has regions of quite dense bush, but with high grasses and huge old baobab trees instead of the green forests of Manyara.

The land is hilly and dominated by the impressive valley of the Tarangire River, which attracts good numbers of migrant animals during the dry months, especially between July and September.

During the dry months the concentration of animals around the Tarangire river is almost as diverse and reliable as in the Ngorongoro Crater, but the ecosystem here is balanced by a localised migration pattern that is followed by most animals other than lion, who don't tend to abandon their territory.

There are a fantastic number of colourful birds swooping and strutting along the rough paths throughout the year, with likely spots including the Paradise Whyder and endearing Yellow-collared lovebirds. There are a few resident lion, which are easier to spot when the migration arrives to excite their taste buds. In other months they look quite mean and lean and slip easily between the lengthening grasses.

The animals mostly disperse during April and May, when there is widespread greenery, vegetation and standing water to encourage all the grazers further afield.

Hienas

Wildebeests

In June, the eland and oryxes begin to return, followed by elephant towards the end of the month. Tarangire is a great spot for elephant gatherings at the end of the rainy season in June, and zebra and wildebeest return together through July.

Family of elephants

By mid-August all the animals are congregating around their last reliable water source, the Tarangire River.
The calving season falls in the early months of the year, through January, February and March, and so makes the most of the fresh grass during the rainy season.

Male ostrich Giraffes

As Laizer described it, the monkey with 'its stuff " blue

Giraffes

Elephants and female ostrich

Climbing lion

Zebras and giraffes

Male elephant

We stopped on the route a couple of times and during one

I took this pic with some Maasai women

and their children.