Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WILDLIFE
Animals
Tanzania's montane forests contain 7% of Africa's endemic plant species
on only 0.05% of the continent's total area. Check the Tanzania Conser-
vation Group website ( www.tfcg.org ) for an introduction to the country's
forests and the conservation of their exceptional biodiversity.
Tanzania's fauna is notable for its sheer numbers and its variety, with 430 species and sub-
species among the country's more than four million wild animals. These include zebras, ele-
phants, wildebeests, buffaloes, hippos, giraffes, antelopes, dik-diks, gazelles, elands and ku-
dus. Tanzania is known for its predators, with Serengeti National Park one of the best places
for spotting lions, cheetahs and leopards. There are also hyenas and wild dogs and, in Gombe
and Mahale Mountains National Parks, chimpanzees. In addition, Tanzania has over 60,000
insect species, about 25 types of reptiles or amphibians, 100 species of snakes and numerous
fish species.
Complementing this are over 1000 bird species, including kingfishers, hornbills (around
Amani in the eastern Usambaras), bee-eaters (along the Rufiji and Wami Rivers), fish eagles
(Lake Victoria) and flamingos (Lakes Manyara and Natron). There are also many birds that
are unique to Tanzania, including the Udzungwa forest partridge, the Pemba green pigeon,
the Usambara weaver and the Usambara eagle owl.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
Endangered species include the black rhino; Uluguru bush shrikes; hawksbill, green, olive
ridley and leatherback turtles; red colobus monkeys; wild dogs; and Pemba flying foxes.
SAVING THE SEA TURTLES
Tanzania's sea turtle population is critically endangered, due to nest poaching,
subsistence hunting and turtles getting caught in fishing nets. Sea Sense
( www.seasense.org ) has been working with coastal communities to protect sea
turtles, as well as dugongs, whale sharks and other endangered marine species.
They have made considerable progress, especially with their community nest
protection program, in which locally trained conservation officers assume re-
sponsibility for monitoring sea turtle nesting activity, and protecting eggs from
poachers and other dangers.
As part of this initiative, local community members are trained as 'turtle tour
guides' to take visitors to nesting sites to watch hatchlings emerge and make their
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