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Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale Mountains National Park lies in the far east of Tanzania on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. It is home to some of the rarest animals in Africa including elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, flamingoes, ostriches, eagles, vultures, wild dogs, baboons, monkeys, antelopes and many species of birds.
In addition to being a wildlife sanctuary, the park is also home to some of the world’s most endangered primates including the mountain gorilla, golden monkey, black and white colobus monkey, olive baboon, blue monkey, red colobus and yellow baboon. There are over 40 different primate species living here. In fact, there are five times as many primate species found in Mahale Mountains National Park than in all of North America.
Discover the iconic Mahale Mountains National Park
The Mahale Mountains National Park is one of Tanzania’s most famous wildlife sanctuaries. Located in the north-eastern corner of the country, it covers around 2,500 square kilometres of land and water. This national park is home to many rare and endangered species including the chimpanzee and golden cat, whose numbers are dwindling due to habitat loss and poaching.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, the Mahale Mountains are known for their incredible scenery and stunning views, particularly during sunset. They are also considered a major centre for primate research and conservation, and are home to several thousand chimpanzees.
Meander through the Mahale Mountains
The world’s largest primate sanctuary, located in Tanzania, offers visitors a chance to see gorillas up close. But it’s not easy to reach the park—it requires a three-hour hike, and you must pay $100 per person to enter.
But now there are some ways to make the trek easier. A local tour operator called Explore Gorilla Treks offers guided hikes into the park, where guests can spot the primates without spending hours hiking.
Explore Gorilla Treks founder John Dube explains how he got his start in tourism in Africa. He began working as a guide while still studying abroad in England. After returning home, he noticed a lack of quality guides offering excursions around Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s capital city. So he founded Explore Gorilla Treks, which now runs 10 trips each month throughout the region.
In addition to guiding tours, Dube says he’s seen firsthand the importance of gorilla conservation. In 2016, he helped lead a group of tourists to the park, where they saw dozens of gorillas. And he’s witnessed firsthand the impact of poaching. When he visited the park in 2013, gorillas numbered about 50. Today, there are fewer than 400.
Make a splash in Lake Tanganyika in Mahale Mountains National Park
A view experience takes place while you are looking out over a lake. You see the water, the sky above it, and perhaps even some mountains behind it. This type of experience is typically used to show off a beautiful location, such as a beach or park.
View experiences are often accompanied by sound effects, music, and narration. They tend to be longer than video tours because they allow the viewer to explore the surroundings freely.
Delight in the curious antics of chimpanzees at Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale is one of Africa’s most famous chimpanzee parks. Now you can enjoy it from the comfort of home thanks to Google Street View.
The park is located just outside Tanzania’s capital city of Dar es Salaam. You can explore the forested landscape, watch chimps play, and even see them eat fruit. There are even some videos showing how researchers interact with the animals.
Google teamed up with the Wildlife Conservation Society to capture images of the park over the course of three days in July 2016. They used a fleet of specially modified cars to take 360-degree panoramic pictures of the area. Each car captured around 2 gigabytes of data per hour. In total, there are about 30 hours of video footage.
To make sure everything looks natural, Google removed the vehicles from certain parts of the park. For example, the roads leading into the forest were blocked off because they don’t lead anywhere. Also, the cameras weren’t allowed near the waterfalls because they could disturb the animals.
Viewers can now zoom in on the park and check out the different areas. If you want to learn more about the park, you can find information on the WCS website.
Pros & Cons
The world’s oldest national parks are among the most popular tourist destinations. But while some of them – like Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Yosemite National Park in California – are easy to reach and offer plenty of activities, others are harder to access and require long treks. Tanzania’s famous Ngorongoro Crater is one such destination. Located in the north-eastern part of the country near the Kenya border, it offers visitors a chance to see East Africa’s largest concentration of wild animals. Here are five things you need to know about the park.
1. Chimp Trekking
Chimpanzees are one of the main attractions in Ngorongoro Craters. They live in groups called clans and sometimes form alliances with each other. These clans often move around looking for food, water and shelter. Chimpanzee clans are led by an alpha male, who rules over his group with a firm hand. He is usually accompanied by several females and young chimpanzees.
2. Oldest National Park
Ngorongoro Crater was formed approximately 2 million years ago during the Pleistocene era. This period saw massive volcanic eruptions and lava flows. As a result, the landscape became covered with ash and pumice, forming what is now known as the Serengeti Plains.
3. Wildlife
In addition to chimps, there are many species of birds, mammals and reptiles living in the park. There are also large numbers of hippopotamuses and elephants roaming around the area. Elephants are found mainly along the western side of the crater, where there is less vegetation. Hippos prefer freshwater lakes and streams within the crater. Other types of wildlife include lions, leopards, cheetahs, crocodiles, zebras, antelopes, giraffes, warthogs, buffalos, baboons, porcupines, jackals, hyenas and bats.
Scenery
The Murchison Falls National Park lies along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, one of Africa’s largest lakes. This stunning natural phenomenon attracts thousands of visitors every year. The park covers an area of about 4,500 hectares and offers hiking trails, boat rides and horseback riding tours.
Weather & Climate
The Mahale Mountains are located in the north-eastern corner of Tanzania, near the shores of Lake Victoria. They cover an area of around 17,500 square kilometres, and are part of the Great Rift Valley. These mountains are home to some of the world’s most interesting wildlife populations, including mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, elephants, buffalo, leopards, lions, cheetahs, hippopotamuses, baboons, hyenas, and many others.
Mahale has two distinct seasons: the dry season, from May to October, and the wet season, from November to April. During the rainy season, the temperature drops quickly, reaching highs of up to 40 degrees Celsius in June and July. In August and September, there is little rain, and the temperature rises again, reaching the mid-20s during December and January. However, it’s worth noting that, due to the high altitudes, the average daytime temperature is usually lower than what one might expect at sea level.
The highest peak is Mount Nkurunziza, which reaches 2,813 metres above sea level. Its summit is covered in grasslands, and the vegetation changes throughout the year, depending on the amount of water available. In the dry season, the grasses grow taller, providing shelter for animals such as buffaloes and zebras. Conversely, in the wet season, the grasses die off, exposing bare rock and soil.
Best Time to Visit
Chimpanzees in DR Congo”
The Congolese government says it wants to protect the endangered western lowland gorilla population in the DRC. But tourists aren’t exactly rushing to see gorillas in the wild. And some conservationists say there just isn’t enough money to keep up with the poaching.
Most Helpful Expert Review
Chimpanzee Tracking & Research – Best Places To See Chimpanzees In Africa
The Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania is one of the most popular places to view wild chimpanzees. This park is home to over 200 individuals. Some of the animals live in large groups while others are solitary. They are habituated to humans, meaning they come closer to people without being afraid. Visitors can observe the chimps up close and even interact with them. You can learn how to track them too.
This video gives you a great overview of what it takes to go chimpanzee tracking in Mahale Mountains.
Video Transcript:
Hi there, I’m Matt Miller and welcome to Chimpanzee Tracking & Research. If you’re looking to do some chimpanzee tracking in Mahali Mountains, then you’ve found the right channel. We’ll show you everything you need to know. So let’s start off with the basics. What exactly is a chimpanzee tracker? Well, we call him a tracker because he tracks the chimpanzees. He goes into the forest and finds where the chimpanzees are living. And then he follows them around and tries to keep tabs on them. Now, why does he want to do this? Because he wants
