Mikumi National Park

Mikumi National Park near Mogogoro, Tanzania, was established in 1964. It covers an area of 3,230 km is the fourth largest in the country. The park is crossed by Tanzania’s A-7 highway. K The park borders selous Game reserve on the south, the two areas form a unique ecosystem. Two other natural areas bordering the national park are the Udzungwa Mountains and Uluguru mountains. Mulundwe Mountain is with the park, the highest of a belt of hills that run east and west through the park, connecting the Uluguru Mountains to the northeast with the Uvidunda and Udzungwa mountains to the west.  Malundwe mountain consists of three peaks along a ridge running north and south. Malundwe south peak is the highest point in the park, reaching 1290 meters’ elevation.

The land scape of Mikumi is compared to that of the Serengeti. The road that crosses the park divides it into two areas with partially distinct environments. The area north west is characterized by the alluvial plain of the river basin Mkata. The vegetation of this area consists of savannah filled with acacia, baobab, tamarinds, and some rare palm. In this area, at the furthest from the road, there are spectacular rock formations of the mountains Rubeho and Uluguru. The southeast part of the park is less rich in wildlife, and not very accessible.

The Fauna includes many species characteristic of the Africa savannah. According to local guides at Mikumi, chances of seeing a lion who climbs a tree trunk is larger than in Manyara. The park contains a subspecies of giraffes that biologists consider the link between the masai giraffes and the reticulated or somali giraffe. The other animals in the park are elephants, zebras, eland, impala, Kudu, black antelopes, baboons, wildebeests and the buffaloes. At about 5 km from the north of the park, there are two artificial pools living by hippos. More than 400 different speces of birds also inhabit the park.
Mikumi belongs to the circuit of the wildlife parks of Tanzania, less visited by the international tourists and better protected from the environmental point of view. Most of the routes that cross the Mikumi proceed from the direction of the Ruaha National Park and the Selous. The recommended season for visiting the park is the dry season between May and November, warm weather and sites that are a once in a lifetime experience.