MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK
Sharing a common border and ecosystem with Selous Game Reserve to the south, Mikumi National Park is only three to four hours drive from Dar es Salaam, lying astride the main highway to Zambia, and en route to the National Parks of Udzungwa Mountains, Ruaha and Kitulo. The main feature of the park is the Mikumi flood plain, along with the mountain ranges that border the park on two sides. Open grasslands dominate in the flood plain, eventually merging with the miombo woodland covering the lower hills.
Mikumi National Park covers an area of 3,230 sq km, and is rich in wildlife including buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, lion, elephant, impala, hippos, baboon, giraffe, warthog, waterbuck and eland which can be viewed throughout the year. Reptiles including crocodile, monitor lizard and python are also resident in the park. Other animals that can be sighted although rare are the Sable Antelope resident in the southern part of the park bordering the Selous, the Greater Kudu, leopard, and the wild dog also known as the African Hunting Dog. More than 400 bird species have been recorded, including European migrants during the rainy season.
WHY MIKUMIÂ NATIONALÂ PARK?
Mikumi National Park: astonishing wildlife
With a landscape of iconic baobab trees, tamarinds, acacias and grassy plains, Mikumi is located between the Uluguru Mountains and the Lumango Mountains, not far from the Indian Ocean. The park abuts the northern border of the Selous Game Reserve, and shares its abundant wildlife, including elephants, lions, giraffes, buffaloes, leopards, crocodiles and African hunting dogs.
The wildlife viewing centerpiece of the park is the Mkata River floodplain northwest of the main road. The islets of shade provided by the acacia trees that fringe the Mkata River are favored by large herds of elephants.
The two waterholes north of the park’s main entrance gate attract a steady stream of buffalos and elephants, but the star attraction here are hippos, usually joined by an ever-changing cast of waterbirds, including open-billed storks.
Tanzania’s Mikumi National Park is one of the most reliable places in Africa for sightings of the eland, the world’s largest antelope. Sable and kudu antelopes can be spotted in the Miombo woodlands. Impalas, wildebeests, buffalos and Burchell’s zebras can be found on the grassy plains, and lions, which often prey on these animals, can occasionally be seen too. You can also find jackals, Liechtenstein’s hartebeests, spotted hyenas and even yellow baboons near Kiboga, at the southern end of the park.
With over 400 bird species, Mikumi is a paradise for both amateur birdwatchers and professional ornithologists. Here you can find lilac-breasted rollers (Coracias caudatus), yellow-throated longclaws (Macronyx croceus) and bateleur eagles (Terathopius ecaudatus).
WHEN TO GO?
Wildlife viewing in Mikumi is fine throughout the year, but the best time is from late June to October (the Dry season). At this time vegetation is thinner, and animals gather around waterholes. The end of the Dry season (September and October) is particularly rewarding as big herds of animals come to drink at the last sources of water.
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June to October –Dry Season
Wildlife is easier to spot as vegetation thins out, and animals concentrate around waterholes and rivers
Abundant sunshine and little rainfall
The risk of catching malaria is less as there are not as many mosquitoes
There is not as much humidity, so the heat seems less severe
There is a lot of dust in the air because it is very dry
Many vehicles at the hippo pool.
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November to May –Wet Season
The scenery is green and lush
Prices may be less, and there are few tourists in the low season of April and May
Birding is at its best as migratory birds arrive
Roads may be washed out and troublesome to use
Wildlife viewing is not as good compared to the middle and end of the Dry season
Wet season is at its height from March to April
It gets humid and hot