Lake-Manyara-Nationalpark

IUCN category II and IX

BWf1

The Lake Manyara National Park is a national park in northern Tanzania. To the west of the park is bordered by high cliffs of the Great African grave breach, the Lake Manyara occupies the eastern part. In the south of the park are the hot springs Maji Moto.

Location

The Lake Manyara National Park is located about 120 km west of the capital of Arusha in the same region in the immediate vicinity of the village of Mto wa Mbu. The park is located at 960-1828 m above sea level. It covers an area of 330 km ² of which 220 km ² are covered by the Lake Manyara.

Climate

The average annual temperature is 22 ° C. The rainy seasons are from November to December and February to April. In the park is the mean annual precipitation 600 mm, in the south twice as much rain falls as in the north.

Vegetation

In Lake Manyara National Park, there are a variety of landforms. The ground water forest is characterized by Trichilia roka, Croton macrostachyus, the mulberry fig and Tabernaemontana usambarensis; at its edges are yellow bark acacia and Senegalese date palms. Also of grasses, such as dog tooth grass, overgrown areas are found there. Narrow-leaved cattails growing on the northwest corner of the lake, after having disappeared for some years. In the middle of the park is woodland with acacia, Acacia sieberiana and Wüstendattel. The south occur Capparis tomentosa, Sausage Tree and perennial grasses. Along the western shore of the lake is growing by Sporobolus spicatus embossed, alkalines grasslands. Also marshes are located on the lakeshore.

Wildlife

The Lake Manyara National Park has possibly the greatest biomass density (weight per area ) of mammals worldwide. Part were the elephants with 6 copies per square kilometer, and buffalo with a density of 18 per km ² the largest share. There are black rhinos in the park, but not in the large number for which was known to the Lake Manyara National Park.

More occurring species of mammals, for example, zebras, hippos, giraffes, blue monkeys, baboons and other monkeys, leopards, banded mongoose and various species of antelope including impala, bushbuck, Kirk- dik, Klipspringer and wildebeest. In the dry season wander large herds of wildebeest from the north of Mto wa Mbu Game Controlled Area for a short time in the Lake Manyara National Park. Rare lions can be seen; in recent decades (as of 1992) there were 20 to 30 copies. Notoriety gained this by climbing up trees. During the day they are seen occasionally several feet above the ground on easily accessible acacias. In Lake Manyara National Park, the largest known elephant density is found. In 1977 there were 453, in 1981 an estimated 485 and 1987 about 180 elephants.

The park has over 400 species a wide variety and number of birds, such as hornbills. Ducks are sometimes encountered in breeding. Lesser Flamingos may occur by the thousands, Pink flamingos in smaller numbers. There are white pelicans, storks and cormorants glutton and at least 44 species of diurnal raptors, including vultures and Palm Hieraaetus ayresii. The sooner frequent Charadrius venustus is observed today only rarely. Among the many luxurious reptiles we find the Nile monitor, which one often sees on rivers, and some cobra species.

Tourism

Go to Lake Manyara National Park came around 1985 annually about 28,000 visitors. To 2007, there were 140,000 tourists a year that brought the Park an annual income of more than 3 million U.S. dollars. With 10 % of its revenue to the Lake Manyara National Park supports the construction of schools, water systems and health centers.

An accommodation there is a hotel with 100 beds at the edge of a plateau and some camping near the main entrance at the north end of the park, where there is also a small museum; outside the park, near the hotel, there is a start and runway. Due to the length of the Lake Manyara National Park attract a passable in all weather road from which branch off some side routes. Recently, the south entrance was opened to allow a better connection to the Tarangire National Park.

2010 was the admission U.S. $ 35 per person per day, the camping fee is U.S. $ 30 per person per night and car charge U.S. $ 40 per day.

Research

The vegetation has been cataloged, described and provided by various researchers with maps. A longer-term study elephants began in 1966. The behavior of the buffalo was studied from 1981 to 1985. Accommodation for scientists can be found outside the park in Mto wa Mbu. A very small research camp in the center of the Lake Manyara National Park, built and used primarily by the elephant project is managed by the Serengeti Wildlife Research Institute. A herbarium of the park is kept there.

Management and protection measures

The area was from 1957, a Wildlife Reserve ( Game Reserve ), before a controlled wildlife area (Controlled Game Area). Since 1960, it has the status of a national park; In 1981 it was declared a Biosphere Reserve. At the southern end of the National Park have been added about 550 ha of land in 1974. The southwestern Marang Forest Reserve with an area of ​​200 km ² now belongs to the National Park. To the north and north-east of Lake Manyara National Park is located in the Mto wa Mbu Game Controlled Area in which hunting is permitted under certain conditions.

The good relationship between the park administration and inhabitants as well as the high density patrol keeps poaching to a minimum, only illegal fishing is a problem. There were and are different methods used to control the migration of animals from the park to the subsequent agricultural land. For example, an electric fence along the northern border of the park was used in the 1960s for several years. Destructive harvesting elephants and other species as well viehtötende lions are very rare shot. Around the tree trunk wrapped chain link fence keeps elephants from having to debark the acacias. In 1984, employs 66 people in the Lake Manyara National Park.

Pictures

• Picture Gallery of Park

Swell

• Wally and Horst Hagen: The African National Parks as habitats of elephants. In: Vitus B. Dröscher: Save the elephants of Africa. 1st edition. Goldmann Verlag, Munich 1992, ISBN 3-442-12322-4. Pp. 237-238.
• Official site of the park in Tanzania National Parks
• Description of the Lake Manyara National Park in Africa Pur
• Detailed Characteristics of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (English)
• Lake Manyara National Park ( English)
• Contributions to Lake Manyara at NTZ Community (English)

Arusha | Gombe Stream | Jozani Chwaka Bay | Katavi | Kilimanjaro | Kitulo Plateau | Lake Manyara | Mahale Mountains | Mikumi | Mkomazi | Ruaha | Rubondo | Saadani | Serengeti | Tarangire | Udzungwa Mountains

• National Park in Africa
• National Park in Tanzania