S E R E N G E T I N A T I
O N AL P A R K
 
"The World as it was in the Beginning"
The Serengeti National Park is as big as Northern
Ireland, and the most popular wildlife sanctuary in the world. It
has been a protected area since the 1940's, and was accorded
national park status in 1951. In 1981, the Serengeti was inscribed
onto the list of UNESCO world heritage sites. The park is fantastic
in its natural beauty and unequalled in its scientific value. This
vast expanse of land is known to contain about 4 million different
types of animals.
 
The plains of Serengeti are mainly crystalline rocks overlain by
volcanic ash with numerous granitic rock outcrops (kopjes). In the
north and along the western corridor are mountain ranges of mainly
volcanic origin. Two rivers flowing west usually contain water and
there are a number of lakes, marshes, and waterholes.
Large herds of antelope of all sorts including: Patterson's eland,
Klipspringer, Dikdik, impala, Zebra, gazelles, water, bush and reed
buck, topi, kongoni, cotton's oribi, grey bush duiker, roan antelope
buffalo, and wildebeest. Plus: lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, bat
eared fox, hunting dog and jackal. Smaller mammals: spring hare,
porcupine, warthog, hyraxes, baboon, vervet monkey, colobus monkey,
patas monkey, and mongooses. Larger mammals: giraffe, rhino,
elephant, hippopotamus. Nearly 500 species of bird, including
vultures, storks, flamingoes, martial and fish eagles, ostrich.
Reptiles: crocodiles, a number of species of snakes and lizards
The following statistics of wildlife population is a small
indication of the immensity of the Serengeti: 700,000 Thompson
gazelles, 65,000 Topi, 50,000 Grant gazelles, 1,500,000 wildebeest,
200,000 zebras, 2,000 lions, 800 leopards, 4,000 hyenas, 200 wild
dogs, 500 cheetahs, 500 species of birds, more than 30 species of
large herbivores...the list goes on.
In May and early June you can witness the annual migration of
millions of zebra and wildebeest in search of water and forage as
the seasons change.
Vegetation: Serengeti's low vegetation means that game viewing is
relatively easy. It varies from open grass plains in the south,
savannah with scattered acacia trees in the centre, hilly wooded
grassland in the north, to extensive woodland and black clay plains
in the west. There are many small rivers, lakes and swamps scattered
about.
Animals live in absolute freedom on the endless plains.
AREA : 14763 Sq. Km. ALTITUDE: 1400 Metres
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