Udzungwa Mountains National Park for the Southern Tanzania Endemic species as well as access the Ifakara area and the Kilombero Flood plains with her specialities and rarities. Accommodation in Ifakara and Udzungwa is basic. The greatest altitudinal range of forests in East Africa: The…

Park summary

• Protected Area Type

  National Park

• Size

  1,990 sq km (770 sq miles)

• When to Go

  Accessible year round

• Distances

  Distance from Dar es Salaam: 350 km (215 miles)

Descriptions

Udzungwa Mountains National Park for the Southern Tanzania Endemic species as well as access the Ifakara area and the Kilombero Flood plains with her specialities and rarities. Accommodation in Ifakara and Udzungwa is basic.

The greatest altitudinal range of forests in East Africa: The eastern escarpment is the only place in East Africa with unbroken forest cover from lowland forest communities at below 250km above sea level, through intermediate types, to mountain communities at over 2,000m.

Exceptionally species-rich forest: The Udzungwa contain plant species found nowhere else in the world, ranging from  

Rich primate fauna: The park hosts six species of primate, two of them endemic forms - the Iringa (Uhehe) red colobus monkey and the Sanje Crested Mangabey, discovered in 1979.

Diverse large mammal community: The plateau contains resident populations of elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, wild dog, sable antelope, eland and water buck. there is also a rich small bovid community, with good numbers of red, blue and abbots duikers and bushbuck.

Richest forest bird habitat in Tanzania with several endemics. Recent studies have added several new species the park's bird list (including a new species of francolin.) This gives the Udzungwa forests a ranking in the top three areas important for bird conservation in mainland Africa.

Spectacular mountain scenery with rainforest, wooded grasslands, rock faces, rivers and waterfalls: The falls on the Sanje River drop some 170m through the forest to the valley below. The mountain plateau allows views of over 100km.

Forest Wonderland
The park is in iringa and Morogoro regions in south-central Tanzania. It is bordered by Great Ruaha River to the north and the Mikumi-Ifakara road to the East. It covers an area of 1900 square kilometers; its headquarters are at Mang’ula, 60 kilometers from Mikumi.

The major attraction is its biologically diverse and unique forest that harbors plant species found nowhere else in the world, from tiny African violets to giant trees 30 metres and more tall.
Apart from about six species of primates, its plateaus contains populations of Elephants, Buffaloes, Lions, Leopards, Hunting Dogs, and several hundred forest bird species.

Facilities;
There are two modest but comfortable lodges with en-suite rooms near the park entrance. Some camping areas have been established inside the park.

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