Serengeti National Park. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. Cultural and natural heritage Where is the Serengeti National Park

Africa is often associated with different wild animals. It has the highest density of wildlife, as well as the richest variety fauna in comparison with other continents of the Earth.

There are various national parks here. The Serengeti is one of them. By the way, the mainland has the most a large number of on Earth - 335 pieces. About 100,000 species of insects, 1,100 species of mammals, 3,000 species of fish and 2,600 species of birds have found protection in them. There are also various sanctuaries here, natural parks, national, marine and forest reserves.

The continent is rich in diversity of habitats. Plains of arid savannahs and wet rainforests in the Sahara have become a haven for various representatives of wildlife. A huge number of fascinating animals live here, some of them are under the threat of extinction. In addition, there is an opinion that this is the place where the first people appeared.

Tanzania

Various national parks are located here. The Serengeti is a famous park that every tourist who wants to explore the real Africa dreams of getting into.

Without a doubt, this place is the most famous treasure trove of wildlife in the whole world. He knows no equal in scientific value and beauty. national park Africa's Serengeti - the most popular and oldest park in Tanzania - is famous for its annual migrations: more than 6 million pairs of feet trample the plain, while 300,000 gazelles and 200,000 zebras, along with wildebeest, look for fresh food. But in the Serengeti, even without migration, bright herds of huge buffaloes, groups of giraffes and elephants, an incredible amount of swamps, eland, impala, grant and congon gazelles are possible.

Park location

In the region of Tanzania, in which the famous Serengeti Park is located (its map is presented in this article). Its northern neighbor is the Kenyan Masai Mara Reserve, and in the southeast it borders on Ngorongoro.

A bit of history

Land data for a long time were completely wild. But about a hundred years ago, the Maasai came to this place - northern nomadic tribes who had domesticated cattle.

The first European came to the Serengeti region in 1891 - Oscar Bauman (German), who was an explorer and naturalist. Here, in 1913, the first hunters began their activities. For several years, the process of forming the territory of the reserve took place in this place, which became the basis for the current national park, which it became in 1951. This action was facilitated by an understanding of the need to preserve African wildlife, as frequent hunting could lead to a rapid decline in the number of lions, which at one time were considered pests.

After 8 years, a reserve was allocated from the Serengeti, which was named Ngorongoro.

In 2009, at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the park, scientists reported that these unique lands need to be protected from the frequent arrivals of foreigners, due to which tourism in Africa is now actively developing. To do this, they proposed to limit access to national parks. The Serengeti is not one of them. But travelers today cannot get to Olduvai Gorge, where traces of ancient people are currently being explored. This was done for the purity of research and the safety of all findings.

Name of the park

The name of this area means "extended area". Here the climate is specific, which contributes to the riot of all forms of life. It also affects the way of life of the inhabitants of the area.

Climate

In general, the Serengeti is warm and dry, although there is also a rainy season. Here it is in the spring. Precipitation is also possible in mid-autumn, but it is already much less.

landscapes in rainy time they are full of flowers and greenery, while in the rest of the time drought gradually sets in. At this time, the inhabitants of the National Park begin to migrate in order to find water to save life.

The air temperature here does not fluctuate much - around 15-25˚С. In the Serengeti, the coolest period is June-October, especially in the evening.

Landscape

The Serengeti National Park also has different landscapes:

• center - savannas;
• south - meadows;
• west - numerous plains and forests;
• southeast - volcanoes;
• north - forests with hills.

In each part you can find a small river, swamp or lake.

Modern landscapes are very far from the original ones, which were here once upon a time, when general form earth's surface formed by volcanic activity. Then a lot of time passed, the elements acted on the earth, thus creating the current image, which can be appreciated by looking at the photo of the Serengeti.

Animals

Special conditions provide an opportunity to develop different types fauna and flora, which are dispersed in national parks. The Serengeti represents the largest population of its inhabitants:

Here among the animals there are:

• Thompson's gazelles (more than 0.5 million);
• (about 2 million);
• zebras (more than 0.25 million);
• elephants;
• giraffes;
• rhinos;
• baboons;
• porcupines and others.

You can meet other predators:

Famous birds of Africa:

• vultures;
• flamingos;
• storks;
• ostriches.

There are also reptiles:

Animal migration

Travelers to the Serengeti are attracted by several fragments from life wild dwellers, the main of which is considered the great migration of ungulates, to be more precise, the wildebeest and zebras. Millions of herds of these animals rush through the picturesque and endless areas of the Serengeti.

They are followed by those who do not miss any suitable moment for a fruitful hunt. Scavengers are already rushing after them, which are an obligatory link in the food chain of these places.

Similar migration in the National Park takes place during February-June. Herds at this time move in a northerly direction, while moving along the eastern part. In September, they head back, and get to December to the south through the western lands.

The rainy period forces herbivores to move to the Masai Mara - fresh pastures are located there. If there is no rain, then the plains in the north become almost deserts. And this happens all the time - the inhabitants of the Serengeti Park (Africa) chase great distances for food, all the while risking their lives.

Conditions for tourists

IN national park There are all conditions for a comfortable pastime of tourists. A large number of hotels, campsites and campgrounds provide a comfortable stay for visitors. On the territory of the park there are restaurants where you can have a tasty, satisfying and inexpensive meal. Great time to visit this park is the dry season. Then tourists can see with their own eyes how the life of predators proceeds. During the wet season it is possible to see how herds of ungulates migrate.

It is worth noting that a visit to the Serengeti will not leave anyone indifferent and will provide even the most sophisticated tourists with emotions for a long time.

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For many years, the wide areas of the Serengeti were practically uninhabited, but a hundred years ago, nomadic Masai tribes arrived from the north, and with them their cattle. In 1891, the first European came here. It was the German naturalist and explorer Dr. Oscar Baumann. In 1913, the first professional hunters from Europe came to the Serengeti.

In 1921, a partial reserve was established in Sarengeti, covering an area of ​​3.2 km². A full reserve here was formed in 1929, it also served as the basis for the organization of the National Park. As understanding and the need to protect wildlife grew, the reserve expanded, and in 1951 it was transformed into a national park.

The area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is 8288 km², was allocated from the Serengeti in 1959. Currently Serengeti national park belongs to the most famous parks in Tanzania and is the second largest after Selous Park.

In 2009 Serengeti park celebrated its 50th anniversary. For scientists, the anniversary served as an occasion to discuss the need for the park to be protected from the increasing flow of tourists, as well as from incompetent development.

Recently, in the eastern part of the park, in the Olduvai Gorge (so-called "cradle of mankind") traces were found ancient man. According to archaeologists, free access to the excavation site can cause serious harm to research. In this regard, it was decided to close the investigated part of the park to tourists for an indefinite period.

General information, climate and relief of the Serengeti National Park

In the territory Serengeti National Park, located at an altitude of 910-1890 meters above sea level, dominated tropical climate. Daytime temperature fluctuates between 25 - 30°C.

Serengeti National Park and its flora

Serengeti National Park and its fauna

Animal migration can be called one of the features of the Serengeti National Park. Every year, during the drought period (October-November), about 220 thousand zebras and over a million wildebeest.

April-June is the rainy season wild animals moving north and west. Neither predators (for example, crocodiles) that live in rivers, nor drought can stop animals - their instinct is so strong. During this long annual journey, the animals travel a distance of 3,000 km. Scientists have calculated that all this huge biomass needs about 4,000 tons of grass daily. Many animals die on the way, but about a quarter of a million cubs are born at the same time.

In 2005 on the territory Serengeti park discovered the world's largest flock of lions. Zoologists call it LION'pride. It includes 41 lions. Three adult males lead the pride, which also includes nine two-year-old lionesses and eight four-year-old lionesses. Also in the flock live thirteen small lions from four months to one year. Never before in Africa has there been such a large flock as this − "pride Seronera". Regular prides number between 15 and 20 lions.

Big Five leopard in the Serengeti National Park

In the territory Serengeti National Park you can see almost all kinds of African animals. This park surpasses all other African national parks in terms of the number of species (plain animals - 35).

The so-called "big five" − lion, rhinoceros, elephant, buffalo and leopard. On the plains you can also meet hyenas, jackals, baboons, giraffes, crocodiles, hippos, as well as herbivorous antelopes, waterbucks, harbingers, Grant's and Thompson's gazelles.

It is a nesting and parking place for more than five hundred species of birds: secretary birds, bustards, ostriches and many small birds.

The Serengeti is the name of a nature reserve in Tanzania, which is included in the ranking of the largest national parks on the planet. It is distinguished by its unique nature and extraordinary wildlife.

The national park is located in the northern part of Tanzania (near the Great African Rift). On one side is Lake Victoria, and on the other is Mount Kilimanjaro. In the western part, the reserve resembles a narrow corridor. Its length is about 8 km. On the north side it reaches the Kenyan customs.

Every year, zebras and ungulates move 800 km to find food and water during the hot season. With the onset of spring, zebras and antelopes move west across the Grumeti River. After 1.5-2 months they go north. At this time, the main food for them are green plants. In the last month of summer, herbivores populate the Masai Mara reserve.

And only with the advent of October they return to the Serengeti, but on a different path. In February, a huge number of foals, calves and other animals are born here. Tourists observe the wildlife with the help of hunting trips in jeeps. Here they can see exotic lakes and rivers, plains and savannahs.

Of great interest are the rocks with carved drawings of the Masai tribe. In the park there is the possibility of flying in a hot air balloon. It is recommended to come here in December-March. Most often they visit the southeastern and central part of the savannah, since the village of Seronera and the largest park airfield are located here.

History of the park

The Serengeti (a national park located in East Africa) has been the domain of wild animals for centuries until the Maasai settled here. The tribes came up with the name of this territory. The Serengeti is translated as an area with endless lands.

The reserve is known for its African five, which include buffalo, leopard, giraffe, elephant, lion. The presence of these animals served as an impetus for the influx of tourists from the Old and New Worlds at the beginning of the 20th century. At the end of the 20s. In the 20th century, some territories were classified as hunting reserves, in which hunting for animals was limited.

The Serengeti officially became a reserve only in 1951. B. Grzimek (a German zoologist) made a lot of efforts to leave the flora and fauna of East Africa in original form. The scientist created the Research Institute in the Serengeti. Here they studied flora and fauna.

Fame for the national park was brought by a book called “The Serengeti Must Not Die” and television series about the reserve (over 35 million Europeans watched them).

Serengeti national park landscape

During heavy rainfall in November-May, zebras and wildebeests take refuge in the grassy area. The end of spring is characterized by the drying of vegetation, so the antelopes go to the water in the northern part of the reserve. Closer to the center of the park, more plants are found in nature. Here is the city of Seronera with the headquarters of the reserve and the Research Institute.

In the north of the Serengeti there are hills and forests where elephants make marks on trees. But zebras and antelopes are almost never found. Colobus (black and white monkeys) live in the forest. There are crocodiles in the waters of the Nile.

The Serengeti (a world-class national park) is known for such landscapes:

• meadows that are located in the southern part of the Serengeti;
• various forests and plains located in the west;
• hilly forests occupying the north of the reserve;
• volcanoes located in the southeast;
• shrouds (center of the Serengeti).

On either side of the reserve there is a lake, a swamp or a small river. The landscapes of today are significantly different from the original ones.

Problems of the Serengeti National Park

The local population comes to the reserve for animal meat, which brings additional income. Previously, wild animals were rarely hunted. However, today this type of fishing has begun to be used in order to expand the business. Every 12 months, approximately 200,000 wild animals are killed in the national park, which is the main reason for the extinction of many species.

There has also been an increase in the number of elephants who have left their home area due to unwanted human activity. This adversely affected the flora of the Serengeti. Elephants break branches of trees, destroy grass cover. At the beginning of the 90s. In the 20th century, cases of dog distemper became more frequent, due to which a significant number of lions died.

At the same time, domestic dogs became popular. An epidemic of rabies broke out. As a result, they died out wild dogs. In the late 80s. the idea of ​​a protected area survived the reform. Prior to this, people were removed from control over the territory of the reserve. Now the main emphasis is on the importance of preserving the pristine nature and its inhabitants.

It is enshrined at the legislative level that wild animals are the main economic means for the indigenous population.

According to the new development, residents have the right to use the resources of the Serengeti's environment. The authorities expect that the adopted regulation will reduce the level of illegal hunting in the reserve. Today, the area around the national park is considered a buffer area. Here people have the right to dispose of natural resources.

nature reserve

near the Serengeti and biosphere reserve Ngorongoro is located in the Olduvai Gorge. The length of its territory is about 250 km 2, and the depth is about 100 m. The reserve was called the human cradle, since the remains of primitive people were found here more than 2 million years ago. Now in Olduvai, archaeologists are doing research. Therefore, visiting the gorge is temporarily limited.

The nature of the reserve originates in ancient times. It has retained its original appearance from the era that began 2.5 million years ago.

During this period, mammals dominated the Serengeti. Serengeti (a national park with a huge area) consists of boundless valleys with hills on which grass grows. One of the varieties of antelopes (blue wildebeest) also lives outside the park. Pink and small flamingos, as well as zebras, are found near Lake Magadi.

Wildlife of the Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti is home to more animals than other reserves.

These include:

• giraffes;
• zebras;
• black rhinos;
• wildebeest;
• crowned cranes;
• warthogs;
• hippos;
• Thompson's gazelles;
• elephants;
• African buffaloes.

Most ungulates are a source of food for leopards, lions, cheetahs, hyenas. The reserve has over 16 varieties of small predators, including foxes and jackals. Officially, 350 species of birds live in the park. Red buzzard, Cape tawny owl, ostrich and crested eagle are found here.

The road to the north leads the ungulates across the rivers. Crocodiles lie in wait for moving animals. Wildebeest occupy the habitat of lion prides, which arrange traps for them. Lagging animals run the risk of being eaten by hyenas, cheetahs or leopards. Vultures flock to the remaining parts of the animals. They cannot share the prey, so the animal is gnawed to the bone.

For several decades in a row, scientists have been conducting research in the Serengeti, the subject of which is the behavior of leopards, lions, the ecology of termites and scarabs, and the retention of mongooses in the territory.

Animal migration

The national park is famous for the great migration of animals. Wildebeest and zebra leave the hot area in October-November. They are heading to the southern part of the Serengeti. It is dominated by flat terrain with tropical rains, gales and thunderstorms. The movement from the side looks quite impressive. It is best to view them from a low height.

After 6 months, these herds come back. Animals are not hindered by drought or predators, for which a favorable period is coming. While moving, they are saturated with prey to the full. Animals during the migration period destroy almost all plants. Some die on the way, others become food for predators. In the same period, offspring are born in antelopes and zebras. Migration is repeated year after year.

Vegetable world

The savanna type of vegetation is favored by the variable humidity in the Serengeti. When heavy rains fall, the plants become emerald green. However, the rest of the time they are like a desert. Near Lake Victoria, grass reaches 3-4 m. In one year, no less organic matter is produced on 10 thousand km2 of savanna than in forests.

Ficuses, commiphores, baobabs, acacias grow here. Sometimes you can see an ebony. Among other things, perennial grasses, cereals, and shrubs grow.

The climate of the Serengeti National Park

The reserve is usually hot and dry. average temperature for a year - about + 21 ° С, but can reach + 25 ° С. About 550 mm of rain falls in the east, up to 1.2 mm in the west and north. However, moisture evaporates quickly enough, because the air temperature is too high.

The amount of precipitation fluctuates every year (wet months are replaced by dry ones). From May to November, there is practically no precipitation, the earth dries up, and the vegetation dies. rainy season falls in winter-early spring.

Monthly Serengeti weather:

Safari in the Serengeti National Park

About 40 thousand tourists come to the Serengeti to participate in hunting trips in East Africa. In Swahili, safari means travel. However, in translation from English, it also means an adventure with viewing animals. Roosevelt, Churchill, Hemingway and some other celebrities visited this area on a safari at the beginning of the 20th century.

IN modern conditions hunting is not allowed during the safari. Animals can be viewed and photographed. For hunting trips, the Serengeti is a great place. The territory of the reserve is quite large, tourists practically do not see each other. People travel by jeep or on foot with a guide.

There are hotels closer to the north of the park so that tourists can spend the night in comfort. In addition to them, there are camps where it is possible to set up a tent for the night.

There are no permanent residents in the reserve. However, the east is inhabited by the Maasai, while the western territory is densely populated. Over the past few decades, the population of the Serengeti has been increasing. There are more wild animals, so there is not enough land for cattle pasture. Grasslands are rapidly becoming areas for crops.

Miracles in the Serengeti

The list of wonders of the world includes animal migration in Tanzania, which is called a unique and dramatic natural phenomenon. To date, it has not been fully understood why large herds of animals run forward without looking back, overcome rivers and do not pay attention to predators.

This process starts at the same time. Zebras with antelopes move along a single route with small deviations to the side.

Cultural and natural heritage of the park

The Serengeti is a national park with a rich wildlife. At the beginning of its existence, it consisted of a small reserve. The length of its territory was about 3.2 km2 (1921). After 8 years, the boundaries are increased. In 1940, the park was recognized as a territory that must be protected.

However, due to financial difficulties, the concept of protection existed only by documents. Reserve international level the park became in the early 80s of the twentieth century. It was given the status of a monument of world natural and cultural heritage UNESCO.

It can be considered that Kenya's Masai Mara National Park flows smoothly from the Serengeti reserve, the biological system of which is the oldest in the world. Scientists believe that the primordial nature has not changed since its formation. In terms of the number of inhabitants, the Serengeti is not inferior to any African reserve.

Every year, tens of thousands of tourists come to Tanzania to visit this park. Here are the most favorable conditions to watch giraffes, lions, leopards. The reserve belongs to the natural and ethnographic park. Its goal is to preserve the traditions and culture of the Maasai.

The proceeds from tourism are used to maintain the normal state of the Serengeti. It is also financed by some environmental organizations from different countries peace. ecological system regularly monitored.

Rules for visiting the reserve for tourists

General rules stay in the Serengeti:

• It is advisable to walk along tourist routes and paths, since the soil collapses rather quickly.
• Waste must be taken with you, nothing can be left in the park. It is best for such cases to take garbage bag.
• Do no harm environment(do not break tree branches and do not damage the bark).
• Do not scare away birds and animals with loud cries, so as not to cause aggression on their part.
• Respect the cultural and natural heritage of the Serengeti.
• Do not use products that are hazardous to soil and water.

National park with the best side describes East Africa. To enjoy the wildlife, over 100 thousand travelers go to the Serengeti reserve every year.

Article formatting: Ilchenko Oksana

Video about Serengeti National Park

Video review of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania:

Roughly comparable in size to Northern Ireland and considered one of the largest reserves Worldwide, the Serengeti is famous for being home to 35 types of mammals, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, giraffes, hyenas, hippos, buffaloes, rhinos, baboons and antelopes, as well as over 500 species of birds. Many of these animals are found nowhere else in the world.

The 800 km annual migration of ungulates and zebras in search of food and water during the dry season in May is one of the attractions of the park. The spectacle of animals rushing across the plains is impossible to forget. Elton John's song "Circle of Life" is about this, so be sure to download it to your player when you go to the Serengeti. In March, antelopes and zebras take off and wander west, fording the Grumati River. In May-June, the herds change direction and rush to the north, feeding on the grown greens. By August, herbivores occupy the Kenyan Masai Mara reserve, and in October they go back to the Serengeti - but only by other trails that lie east of the summer ones. In February, the Serengeti turns into a huge maternity hospital: every day thousands of calves, foals and other animals are born here.

In addition to communicating with the wildlife through a classic jeep safari, visitors to the Tanzanian national park can enjoy the exotic landscapes of the African savannas and plains, rivers and lakes. Watch beautiful sunsets and visit the rocks containing Masai rock art.

It is also the only park in Tanzania where you can fly in a hot air balloon, if you don't, you will regret it for the rest of your life.

In East Africa, only the national parks of Tsavo, Kenya, are larger than the 15,000 km Serengeti. (+255-0689062-243, 0767536125) . As for popularity, no one can compare with him - and this is a considerable merit of the father and son Grzimek. In the 50s. German naturalists were the first to use aviation to count the number of animals. In the end, their light zebra-painted Dornier crashed with Michael Grzimek at the helm. The explorer was buried on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, and 30 years later, his father found peace nearby, who wrote several books about Tanzanian nature, including the famous "Serengeti must not die."

Winter is the best time to visit the park. (December to March). The Serengeti is located 250 kilometers northwest of Arusha. The most visited areas of the vast savannah are the southeast and the center, where the main local village of Seronera is located. (Seronera) and the largest park airfield. This is where those park visitors arrive who use Coastal Aviation's daily direct flights from Arusha. (1 hour 20 minutes, $175). There are also airfields in the north (Kogatende, Coastal Aviation, daily from Arusha, $260) and south of the park (Southern Serengeti, Coastal Aviation, from Arusha, $200). The rest come along the highway leading from Arusha to the west towards Lake Victoria. Naabi Hill main gate (Naabi Hill Gate, adults/children 5-16 $50/10, under 5 free, guide $20/day) close already at 18.00, as movement in the park after 7 pm is prohibited. If you do not have a safarimobile or a rented car at your disposal, then Seronera can be reached by a regular bus from Arusha to the northwestern cities of Tanzania - Musomu (Musoma) or Mwanza (Mwanza). This way you can drive the entire Serengeti from east to west, but don't expect to see much. From the west, the entrance to the park is through the gate from the basket hot air balloon: flights are organized by Serengeti Balloon Safaris (Arusha, www.balloon-safaris.com) for about $500 - contact them or any park hotel in Seronera. This village is also information Center (Visitors Information Centre, 8.00-17.00). Day trips around the park are also organized by hotels, and you can buy a tour at the travel agencies of Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Moshi (often together with Ngorongoro and other neighboring parks), For example:

• Worldlink Travel & Tours (DTV Building, Dar-es-Salaam, +255-022-2116024/5, 022-2126691/2, +255-0752786222; www.worldlinktz.com). Serengeti for 3 days / 2 nights, including a flight from Dar es Salaam, costs from $ 1800 (for a couple, the same program will cost $ 1,800 per person).
• Serengeti Pride Safaris & Kilimanjaro Climbs (Usa River, Arusha, +255-0785353534; www.serengetipridesafaris.com). Serengeti, Manyara and Ngorongoro for 7 days and 1715 $ (minimum 4 people per group).
• Rikshaw Travel Group (in Dara +255-022-2602303/304/305/ 610/612/613; 022-2137275.213-9273; in Arusha +255-027-2545955, 2545956; www.rickshawtravels.com). 5 days / 4 nights with a visit to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara during the days of migration of ungulates - from $ 2075. Start and end at Kilimanjaro airport.
• Tanzania 2000 Adventure (Arusha, +255-0786013994,077-3478748; www.tanzania-adventure.com). Four-day trip from Arusha to Ngorongoro and Serengeti with an overnight stay in the center of the latter for $980 (4 people in a group).

Serengeti National Park located in the Great African Rift, in the north of Tanzania. On the map of Africa, finding it is quite simple: it is located between the largest African lake Victoria and herself high peak mainland - Mount Kilimanjaro. In the west, the territory of the park forms a narrow corridor 8 km long, which almost reaches the shores of Lake Victoria, and in the north it extends to the border with Kenya.

Serengeti - a unique world reserve

The Serengeti is a pearl among the national parks of Tanzania (14% of the country's territory is protected). It is included in the list of the most famous national parks in the world. The abundance of animal species (all of the “African Big Five” are represented here: lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe and elephant), as well as their total number and annually repeated migrations of thousands of ungulates, make the Serengeti one of unique places on the ground.

In 1929, part of the Serengeti plains was declared a hunting reserve - shooting wild animals was limited here. Since 1940, the Serengeti plains have become a protected area. However conservation status gave this land very little - there were no means of protection against intruders, no transport, no uniforms for employees. The territory received the status of a national park in 1951. Initially, the border ran east and south of the current one and included the Ngorongoro Upland.

In 1954, the park was divided into two parts: the current Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Protected Area. The functions of the national park included the protection of wildlife and other resources of the territory and tourism, and people's access to the Serengeti was strictly limited. But even after that, the Serengeti was still a park more on paper. The number of animals continues to decline. It became obvious that in this state of affairs, paradise in East Africa would soon cease to exist.

Extraordinary measures were required to protect the Serengeti. They were proposed by the German zoologist Bernhard Grzimek. Grzimek hoped he could bring international interest and tide to the park. Money to East Africa. Travels of father and son, their book Serengeti must not die”, their films, the tragic death in a plane crash on January 10, 1939, Michael Grzimek made the Serengeti famous throughout the world.

However, the territory received international conservation status more than 20 years later, in 1981. Then, together with the adjacent Ngorongoro Reserve located in Kenya, as well as the Masawa Wildlife Sanctuary in Tanzania, the national park also became part of the Man and the Biosphere program and was recognized as a monument in the same year.

Serengeti national park landscape

In open eastern savannas during the rainy season from November to May, hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and zebras gather. This is where the annual Serengeti migration starts. At the end of May, when the grasses become dry and stunted, the wildebeest set out on their journey to the never-ending water sources in the north of the park. A huge avalanche of rushing animals, waving like the sea, raises clouds of red dust and leaves behind heaps of grass. Thin-legged antelopes rush to full speed across the hilly plains and hillocks through the expanses of short-grass savannah, overcoming rivers and streams in their path. This huge roaring herd of frightened blue wildebeest is one of the most majestic sights that can be seen in wild nature and which is called the great migration of animals. Antelopes are followed by zebras. Predators run after them. In November, when long northern campaign ends, the pastures in the south turn green again, and the herds start on the way back.

In the central part of the park, the landscape is more diverse. In addition to the savannahs, there are light forests here, where long, slender acacias are adjacent to the curved trunks of commiphorae. It is in this part that the town of Seronera is located, in which the headquarters of the park and the Serengeti Research Institute are located.

In the northern part of the park, the landscape becomes hilly and wooded. Marks on tree trunks indicate the appearance of elephants here. There are almost no antelopes, giraffes and zebras. On the way to the west, in the forests of the Grumeti river valley, there are many black and white colobus monkeys; Nile crocodiles jump out of the water.

Problems of the Serengeti National Park

Although the main source of income for indigenous people is Agriculture, they are attracted to the park by wild animals, which meet the growing demand for meat, as well as the opportunity to earn money associated with tourism. If earlier poaching was more of a single character, then at the end of the 20th century it became large-scale and turned into a business. About 200,000 animals are destroyed annually in the Serengeti region, which leads to a significant reduction in the number of some species.

There were also a number of other problems. In the Serengeti, the number of elephants that have left their original habitats due to human intervention has increased. This caused damage to the vegetation cover of the park: elephants damage tree trunks and large branches, trample grasses. An epidemic of canine distemper in 1994 caused the death of about a third of all Serengeti lions, and the widespread distribution of domestic dogs caused an epidemic of rabies. As a result, wild dogs disappeared.

Since the late 1980s, the concept of a protected area has undergone significant changes. If earlier local residents were excluded from the process of development and management of the park, now the need to develop the population of the territory is also taken into account when protecting resources. Wildlife has been formally recognized as an important economic resource for local residents in the vicinity of the park. It is expected that the adoption of such schemes, which recognize the legal rights of the local population to the use of wildlife resources and close proximity to their place of residence, will reduce the current high level of poaching in the park. Currently, the areas in the vicinity of the park are an intermediate (buffer) zone where the local population can use the resources of the park, and the village wildlife committees oversee conservation activities.

History of the Serengeti National Park

The history of the creation of the national park on the plains of the Serengeti is dramatic and triumphant at the same time. For the first time, Europeans and Americans learned about these places in 1913. The expanses of Africa were still unknown at that time. white man. However, the lands of the British colonies in East Africa have already become places of mass pilgrimage for hunters from the United States and European countries. Lions, leopards, elephants and other animals became hunting trophies, stuffed in museums. One of these hunters, Stuart Edward White, once went with guides from Nairobi to the south. After several days of travel, he wrote in his diary: “We moved further and further south across the savannah scorched by the sun. Then I saw the greenery of the trees by the river, walked another two miles, and found myself in paradise.” Thus he found the Serengeti.

The colonialists learned about this land at the beginning of the 20th century, and the indigenous people, the Maasai tribes, have been grazing cattle and hunting on the plains for thousands of years. They called the land Siringitu. which in translation means "a place where the earth is endless."

Hunters for ivory and rhino horn began to come to the Serengeti and nearby places from all over the world, just safari lovers.

Bernhard Grzimek founded the Serengeti Research Institute with a base in the park, where scientists studied the local nature. Grzimek believed "Africa belongs to those who believe that wild animals and virgin territories still exist on Earth." His television series were seen by 35 million Europeans, which helped to raise large sums money for the institute and international environmental organizations. The zoologist who did so much to preserve the nature of East Africa is buried near the Serengeti, on protected area Ngorongoro under a small pyramid of stone.

Wildlife of the Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti surpasses other parks in Africa in terms of the number of species and the total number of animals that inhabit it. Huge herds of migrating ungulates - more than 1.3 million wildebeest, 900,000 Thomson's gazelles, 300,000 zebras - constantly move within the park. In addition to these most numerous inhabitants, 7,000 eland, 70,000 buffalo, 4,000 giraffes, 15,000 warthogs, 1,500 elephants, 500 hippos, 200 black rhinos, more than ten species of antelope and seven species of primates live in the park. The richest fauna of ungulates provides food for at least five species of predators, including 3 thousand lions, 1 thousand leopards, 225 cheetahs, 3.5 thousand hyenas. There are at least 17 species of smaller predators in the park, including jackals and foxes. Among the 350 registered species of birds, there are 34 species of birds of prey, six species of vultures, lesser flamingos, and weavers. In these places live the secretary bird, the red buzzard, the black-winged kite, which feeds on small predators and birds, the buffoon eagle and the Cape owl, as well as the crested eagle, vultures, ostriches.

The nature of the Serengeti is one of the most ancient on Earth. It has changed little over the past million years, preserved from the Pleistocene - a period that lasted 150 thousand years on the planet and ended about 8 thousand years ago. It was an era of absolute domination of mammals, including herbivores.

Often, herds of wildebeest stretch across the savannah for tens of kilometers. The earth hums, shuddering under the blows of millions of hooves.

The way north is not easy - ungulates have to overcome rivers, where they can be carried away by the current or they risk being eaten by crocodiles. Moving forward, the wildebeest enter the territory of the lion prides, and they are already waiting for them in ambush. Leopards, cheetahs and hyenas attack animals that have strayed from the herd. Vultures flock to the remains. They squabble and fight over their prey until the carcass is nothing but bones, whitening in the savannah in the hot African sun.

The park is the center scientific research I have been for several decades. The main research topics include long-term observations of the state of ecosystems, the behavioral ecology of the lion, leopard, ungulates, population dynamics and reproduction of mongooses, the ecology of scarabs and termites.

About 30,000 feral domestic dogs now live in the Serengeti. These animals are the source of the spread of diseases among wild predators. Since 1996, mass vaccinations of domestic dogs have been carried out at the park's borders to create a disease-free buffer zone around the park.

The climate of the Serengeti National Park

The climate of the Serengeti National Park is usually dry and hot. The average annual temperature is about +21 C, but it varies throughout the year from +15 to +25 C. The amount of precipitation decreases to the east near the Ngorongoro crater, about 550 mm of precipitation falls (approximately as in Moscow), in the north and west - about 1 - 1.2 mm. It would seem to be quite an impressive value, but with high temperatures evaporation is much faster. In addition, the amount of rain varies from year to year: dry years are replaced by wet ones, and vice versa. During the year, rains also fall irregularly from May - June to October - there is almost no rain in November, the soil dries up and the plants wither. Rain peaks in December and March-April

With such a variable-humid climate, savannahs become the main type of vegetation. They have a lot of grasses, which dry out during the dry season and make the savannah look like a desert. In the wet season, on the contrary, everything turns green, the grasses reach their usual height - in the west, closer to Lake Victoria, 3 - 4 m. Although there are few plant species in the savannahs, they are very productive. For a year, per 1 ha, they produce almost as much organic matter as forests. The abundance of food determines the diversity of ungulates, and hence the large number of predators. Thus, grasses form the bottom link of the pyramid of life in the savannas.

Safari in the Serengeti National Park

A huge variety of animals attracts crowds of tourists to the Serengeti - at least 40 thousand people come annually to take part in a safari. From the Swahili language, the word "safari" is translated as "journey". However, in English language, where this word has migrated, it means not just a journey, but also an adventure associated with observing wild animals in African savannah. “Safari” has this meaning in other languages ​​as well. At the beginning of the 20th century, Theodore Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill and other famous hunting enthusiasts came to East Africa on safari.

On modern safaris, hunting is strictly prohibited, animals are only allowed to be observed and photographed. The Serengeti is a great place for a safari. The park is so huge that nature lovers do not collide with each other, you can travel both by jeep and on foot, accompanied by a guide. Comfortable hotel houses have been built for tourists in Seronera and Lobo, in the north of the park. There are also campgrounds with very primitive amenities.

There is no permanent population in the park, but the Maasai live on its eastern borders, and the lands to the west of it are densely populated. The population growth in these areas in recent decades is very high and reaches 4% per year. Due to the growing population of wild animals and livestock livestock there is not enough land for grazing, especially since pastures are quickly turning into arable land.