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N G O R O N GO R O C R A T E R
 
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Ngorongoro crater is located west of the
great rift valley which runs from the Red Sea to Lake Nyasa in
southern Tanzania. Ngorongoro was an active volcano some eight
million years ago, whose cone collapsed, leaving a crater. It is
the largest unbroken caldera in the world, the second largest
extinct crater in the world, and today shelters the most
beautiful wildlife haven left on earth with a spectacular
concentration of wildlife and stunning views. |
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The Crater is oval in shape, 300Sq. Km in
area, 610m deep. There are 25,000 larger animals within the
crater itself. This is undoubtedly the best place to see black
rhino in Tanzania as well as prides of lion that include the
magnificent black-maned males. All of the big five are seen -
elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo. Other game includes:
cheetah, hyena, zebra, warthog, impala, hartebeest, eland and
lots of other members of the antelope family and smaller mammals
of sorts. |
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Birdlife includes:- Kori bustard, secretary
bird, crested crane, maribou stock, goliath, heron, beautiful
fish eagles, and thousands of colourful flamingoes. More than a
100 species of bird not found in the Serengeti have been found
in the crater.
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Ngorongoro
Crater:
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4 min Video |
Dial-Up
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Cable/DSL
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Today it
is Designated as a World Heritage Site, but millions of years ago,
Ngorongoro was an active volcano with a cone that some speculate was
as high as Mt. Kilimanjaro. |
Vegetation: The crater rim is wooded with mountain forest vegetation.
Blooming in acres of flowers e.g. pink, blue and white lupines, candle
white lilies, blue hyacinth.
Ngorongoro Crater is just one part of the 8300 sq. kilometer area
called the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). Also contained within the
NCA's boundaries is the geologically important and historically
controversial Olduvai Gorge, where Louis and Mary Leakey discovered
numerous types of the fossil remains of early man. |