Mikumi National Park
Mikumi National Park located near Morogoro, Tanzania, was established in 1964. It covers an area of 3,230 square kilometers that is the fourth largest national park in the country. The park is crossed by Tanzania's A-7 highway. The park is a small park which borders with the Selous Game Reserve. Its location allows amazing movement of games and, therefore, Mikumi National Park benefits from the highest game density of the entire conservation area while still being easily accessible. Mikumi National Park is composed primarily of the Mkata River floodplain, this is surrounded by gently rolling hills covered in miombo woodland.
This park is Tanzania’s fourth-largest national park and the most accessible from Dar es Salaam. With almost guaranteed year-round wildlife sightings, Mikumi National Park makes an ideal safari destination for those who are without much time. Located in 283 kilometers (175 miles) west of Dar es Salaam, north of Selous Game Reserve, past Morogoro, and set between the Uluguru Mountains to the northeast, the Rubeho Mountains to the northwest, and the Lumango Mountains to the southeast, Mikumi National Park hosts buffaloes, wildebeests, giraffes, elephants, lions, zebras, leopards, crocodiles and more. Also, your chances are high that you’ll see a respectable sampling of these within a short time of entering the park.
The most reliable wildlife watching is around the Mkata floodplain to the northwest of the main road with the open vistas of the small but lovely the millennium "little Serengeti" area. This area is especially good for spotting buffaloes which are often quite near the roadside as well as giraffes, elephants, and zebras. Another attraction is the hippo pools which is located just northwest of the main entry gate wherein you can watch hippos wallowing and snorting at close range plus do some fine birding.
Mikumi National Park is also an important educational and research center. Among the various projects being carried out is an ongoing field study of yellow baboons which is one of just a handful of such long-term primate studies on the continent. Many animals migrate between the Mikumi National Park and the Selous Game Reserve. Lions, buffaloes, impala, gazelles, elephants, and giraffes can be found within the park while hippos and crocodiles can be observed in the rivers. Nevertheless, over 400 bird species are also the resident in this national park.
