Regarded as the 8th wonder of the world.
Granted the status as a World Heritage Site in 1978
and an international Biosphere Reserve in 1981, it is
one of the most diverse and fascinating areas of
Tanzania.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is home of
Ngorongoro Crater. It was formed some 2.5 million
years ago from a volcanic mountain sinking due to
inactivity, and was initially thought to be higher
than Tanzania’s famous Kilimanjaro. The crater has
evolved into a unique and integral part of
Tanzania’s eco-system.
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The crater is actually a caldera, measures 22.5 km’s
across and the rim walls stand 600m high. Views from
within and from the rim are breathtaking (as can be
seen from the picture). The crater houses 30,000
animals, and a large variety of birds, which rarely
move from the area due to the availability of water
through wet and dry seasons.
Black Rhino, which are on the endangered list, can
be found scattered throughout the base of the crater.
Visitors are almost guaranteed to get a look at one of
these spectacular animals (our personal favourite).
This is also one of the few places where the "big
five" can be found in a small area, namely
Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Lion and Cheetah. For those
who don’t know, the big-five were given this name
due to the extreme danger and cunning these posed to
early hunters. Buffalo for example, have a habit of
playing dead after being shot. Once the hunter
approaches to see his "kill" the buffalo
rises and mauls the intended killer to death. The main
water source for the animals in the crater is Lake
Makat. In and around this lake are thousands of lesser
flamingos. The lake is pretty much right in the center
of the crater.
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A view from the crater rim
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NCA is not a National Park, but a conservation
authority administered by the government of Tanzania.
Due to the diverse nature of the area the conservation
authority is attempting to co-ordinate the many needs
of the people accessing it. Main conservation projects
include wildlife, people and culture, forestry,
archaeological and prehistoric, education and
obviously tourism. The area is in such demand by all
the aforementioned factors, that there a definite need
to manage these areas viably. Visitors are therefore
requested to respect the rules laid down by
authorities to preserve this naturally rich area.
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info...
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