Mkomazi National Park
Home to the rare species
Mkomazi National Park
The Park finds itself in a beautiful setting with both the Pare and Usambara mountains towering above its boundaries. Depending on the weather, Mount Kilimanjaro can also be seen from the park. To the south, the pare and Usambara mountains form a dramatic backdrop and to the north, Kenya’s vast Tsavo National Park shares a border with Mkomazi, making common ground for migratory herds of elephants, oryx, and zebra during the wet season. Together with Tsavo, it forms one of the largest and most important protected ecosystems on earth.
Mkomazi derives its name from the Pare-ethnic language; “Mko and Mazi”. “Mko” means a traditional tiny wooden spoon used by the Pare people for eating and “Mazi” means water. This implies that the water in the Park is hardly enough to fill up the wooden spoon. It covers an area of 3,245sq km/1,240mi²
Info About Mkomazi National Park
- Area: 3,234 km² /1,240mi²
- Established: 2006
- Distance & Drive time: 120km/74mi from Moshi.
- Location: Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania
Climate
The climate in Mkomazi is usually dry and warm to hot. The warmest months are October to April and the coldest months are May to September. It also experiences two wet seasons, the long rains which are from March to May and short rains are from November to December. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 570 mm in the lowlands to 1,910 mm in the highlands.
Getting there
The Park can be accessed by road and by air.
Park Attractions
The most common animals in Mkomazi.
- Giraffe
- oryx
- gerenuk,
- hartebeest
- lesser kudu
- eland
- impala
- grants gazelle
- elephants
- buffalo
- lions
- leopards
- cheetah
Black Rhinos
Black Rhinos spend their days and nights grazing and only sleep during the hottest parts of the day. When they aren’t eating, they like a cooling mud soak.
Ride into Mkomazi to come and see these majestic and powerful creatures that conquered the world.
Wild dogs
These long-legged canines can only be seen in abundance when you visit Mkomazi. Their four toes per foot unlike other dogs make them unique. They live in packs therefore they are social animals and communicate by touch, actions, and vocalizations.
Unique Vegetation
Mkomazi marks the southern tip of the Sahel zone which resembles that of a dry desert-like landscape. Due to the climate, the vegetation consists of Acacia Commiphora woodlands, and towards the western mountains the vegetation changes to a dry land forest
Bird species
A healthy population of 450 species is also found in the park and several species can be seen during a game drive. The most commonly seen species include go-away birds, ostriches, long-crested eagles, and bustards. Doves, hornbills, weavers, and guinea-fowl are all present in large numbers as well as such shrinking species as the martial eagle and violet wood-hoopoe.
Activities
There are several tourist activities inside and outside the Park
Day Game Drive
This is the main tourism activity in the park where visitors visit different areas of attraction inside the Park using vehicles during the day.
Walking Safaris
In Mkomazi visitors have an opportunity to walk around the Park with an armed trained Park Ranger. Can do a short walk around Dindira or a Long walk starting from the Zange area (Park’s Headquarters) to the Babus area
Bird Watching
The park has more than 450 bird species, including the migrant ones, birds of prey, and water birds, hence making this the best area for bird lover visitors to enjoy this activity within the Park.
Filming
Mkomazi National Park has a good scenery full of nature’s beauty, and other attractions found in abundance, this makes it an ideal area for filming.
Nature Walk
A nature walk can be done in Nilo and Amani Nature Reserves near Muheza town. Walking and Hiking in Chome Nature Forest Reserve in Same.
