Tarangire National Park

During these months, the animal concentration around the Tarangire river is almost as diverse and reliable as in the Ngorongoro crater, but the ecosystem is again balanced by a localized migration pattern that is followed by most animals, with the exception of lions, who do not abandon their territory. The animals disperse primarily in April and May, when there is abundant greenery, vegetation, and standing water to encourage all grazers to move further afield. Eland and oryx begin to return in June, followed by elephants at the end of the month.

Tarangire is known for elephant ‘pow-wows,’ which occur when different herds of elephants come together in one area near the end of the rainy season, and the dominant males use the opportunity to sow seeds for future generations. The following 22-month gestation period should be coordinated with the rainy season two years later. Through July, zebra and wildebeest reunite, and by mid-August, all animals have gathered around the Tarangire River, their last reliable water source. The calving season occurs in the first three months of the year, in January, February, and March, allowing the cows to take advantage of the fresh grass during the rainy season.

However, there are always a plethora of colorful birds swooping and strutting along the rough paths in front of your vehicle in Tarangire, with the Paradise Whyder and endearing Yellow-collared lovebirds among the most common sightings. There are a few resident lions, who are easier to spot when the migration arrives to whet their appetites. They appear mean and lean in other months and slip easily between the grasses.

It’s worth noting that the park has become a wildlife concern due to its resident tsetse fly population – domestic animals don’t develop the same level of immunity to typanosoiasis (sleeping sickness) as wild animals who have developed immunity. They are a nuisance with a stinging bite, but they tend to congregate in swarms, and a well-planned ‘windows up’ strategy appears to be the best way to survive. They don’t appear to be common in any of the lodges… The woodland habitat of fever trees and umbrella acacias along the Tarangire river has recently become more open, owing to fire and heavy elephant use.