Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale Mountains National Park is a national park in southwest, Tanzania. It is also known as Mahale National Park or Mahale Mountains National Park. Lake Tanganyika the deepest lake in the world is found inside Mahale Mountains National Park in Kigoma. This is one of the two chimpanzee-friendly national parks in Tanzania; The other is the nearby Gombe Stream national park. The eminent scientist Jane Goodall acclimatised the chimps. Mahale Mountains National Park is one of the Tanzania safari tour parks that you can tour on foot while hiking up the mountain.
The park bears the name of Mount Mahale, which is its tallest peak. Additionally, a broad range of mountains that border the isolated park add to its picturesque attractiveness. The majority of Tanzania’s chimpanzees may be found at Mahale Mountains National Park. Lions and chimpanzees coexist in the same national park in Africa, which is only this park. Mahale National Park can only be visited on foot because it is so far away that there are no roads through which a car can travel. It is more difficult even to enter the park itself, requiring a boat ride across Lake Tanganyika followed by a walk. Encompassing 1613 square kilometres of territory, the Mahale Mountains National Park was established in 1985. The Mahale Mountains dominate the area, providing a commanding view of the expansive grasslands that are home to lions. It is at Tanganyika the deepest lake in the world that a renown Japanese primate researcher Goodall set up camp in the Kansyana province after visiting the park near the banks of Lake Tanganyika in 1961. The park is one of the trickiest to get into, while providing superb year-round game viewing, since all of the roads that connect to it end close to the closest Kigoma village.
How to get to Mahale Mountains National Park
Despite the common belief that there are no direct routes connecting the park to Tanzania’s interior, accessing the area is not particularly difficult. Two routes lead into the park, and they are as follows:
By Air
Daily flights depart Arusha for Katavi or Ruaha, from whence one can drive to Kigoma town and then walk to the park.
By Boat
To get to the park entrance, use the boat that crosses Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma. Since these are the only two entrance points to Mahale Mountains National Park, your chances of spotting wildlife in this remote national park are the highest.
Attractions of Mahale Mountains National Park
The park is endowed with a multitude of attractions that visitors who genuinely wish to experience the splendour of Africa should not miss. The two animal cultures that make up the park are very different from one another.
Chimpanzee
One of Tanzania’s two national parks, Mahale Mountains National Park offers visitors the chance to see chimpanzees, the first moving primates. With over 1700 chimpanzees reported, the park boasts the largest chimpanzee population in Tanzania. The park is particularly well-known for housing more than eight different kinds of primates, including the uncommon yellow and olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, red Columbus monkeys, blue monkeys, and many more. To fully enjoy Primate World, as with all other parks worldwide, you must pay the trekking fees.
Birding in Mahale Mountains National Park
The Mahale Mountains National Park is mostly covered in diverse flora types that are home to a variety of bird species. Over 300 different bird species have been reported to be present in the park, and they can be seen all year round. About 80% of this kind of bird have been primarily explored by visitors. The bulk of the park’s bird species are woodland birds, some of which can be challenging to identify because of the park’s inadequate accessibility infrastructure. The park’s tranquilly has made it quite simple for tourists to see birds, and limiting the number of attendees has been highly beneficial. The finest place for birdwatching is thought to be the northern portion of the park, which surrounds the Kabezi area. The following is a list of giant birds: Ross turaco, Livingstone turaco, Crested Guineafowl, Palm-nut vulture, African Fish Eagle, Kingfisher, and Scaly Francolin. Trumpeter hornbill, Bamboo warbler, Vieillot’s Black weaver among others.
Game viewing
When you mention the Mahale Mountains National Park, everyone immediately thinks of chimpanzees and other primates. Few visitors are aware that the park is home to a variety of other species of creatures besides monkeys. The park’s many ecologies make it one of the most gifted national park.The park is home to a diverse array of ecosystems, including lakes, wetlands, open savannah, and woods. Due to these various diversities, the park is home to a wider variety of creatures, including African wild dogs, lions, giraffes, squirrels, elephants, sable antelopes, buffaloes, and kudus. One of the rare locations where primates coexist with other wildlife is Mahale National Park. A visitor can kill two birds with one stone by visiting this park.
Mountains
The most well-known Tanzania safari attraction is sizable Mahale mountain which is the source of the name of the Mahale Mountains National Park. This mountain is one of the main attractions in the park, it also inspired the name of the park. Hikers who enjoy a good challenge come to train for the epic walk up higher mountains like Kilimanjaro. Numerous kinds of primates, including baboons, chimpanzees, and monkeys are endemic to the park.
Fish
The world’s deepest lake is Lake Tanganyika. Over 200 distinct fish species can be found at Mahale National Park’s Lake Tanganyika. Lake Tanganyika is home to a greater variety of fish species, although visitors on safari in Tanzania are only permitted to fish in designated areas that are meant for leisure. Licenses are issued to those interested in fishing by the Tanzania Authority National Park headquarters, all fishing operations are prepared.
Make sure you visit Mahale National Park if you want to have a truly remarkable wildlife encounter. The only missing in the park are the rhinos and leopards—two of the African Big Five species. There are roughly 300 species of birds and nine species of primates making it a great safari choice for birdwatchers.
