Gombe Stream National Park
Gombe Stream National Park, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, is the
smallest park in Tanzania. The park is located outside the Kigoma town
about 16 kilometers covering only 52 square kilometers. The park is
narrow strip of a mountainous country bordered by the crest of the African
Rift Valley walls to the east and Lake Tanganyika to the west the deepest
cold water lake in Africa.
Gombe offers visitors the rare chance to observe the chimpanzee communities
made famous by British explorer Jane Goodall. A number of monkey species
can also be seen, red colobus, baboons, velvet, red-tail and blue monkey.
Other primates include bush pigs and bushbucks. The area is heavily
forested, making it an unsuitable habitat for carnivores so the park
is safe for walking safaris. There are rewarding sightings for birdwatchers.
Mahale Mountains National Park
The other sanctuary of the chimpanzee is the Mahale Mountains National
Park which is reached by boat from Kigoma. Covering an area of 1,613
square kilometers, its western boundary is the shore of Lake Tanganyika.
The vegetation of the Mahale is populated with the Miombo woodland,
the narrow forest along the rivers. The chimpanzee population of the
park is estimated to about 1,000 which can be seen, in groups of between
five and 30 at a time, in their natural habitat.
Other primates such as baboons and colobus monkeys, bush pig, porcupine
and other animals are found in the north; while to the south live various
antelope species, lion, elephant, buffalo and giraffe.
Katavi National Park
Main features of Tanzania's third largest park, located about 40 kilometers
southwest of the town of Mpanda, are Lake Katavi, with its vast floodplains,
the palm fringed Lake Chala and the Katuma River. The park covers an
area of approximately 4,500 square kilometers of unspoiled wilderness
areas compare with other parks in the country. The park is noted for
Miombo woodland and scattered acacia trees scenery and is the home of
zebras, sable and roan antelope, eland, leopard, elephant, buffalo and
lion.
Waterfowl are also abundant. Lake Chala and River Katuma is particularly
rich in bird life more than 400 species are recorded and are also known
for its large concentration of crocodile and hippo.
Rubondo Island National Park
Rubondo Island National park comprises Rubondo Island and nine smaller
islands tucked into a corner of Lake Victoria making the only island
park in Tanzania. The park provides a variety of habitants, ranging
from savannah to open woodland, dense forest, papyrus swamps and sandy
beaches.
Covering an area of 240 square kilometers Rubondo boasts a unique diversity
of flora and fauna. There is also a wide variety of animal species,
including hippo, crocodile, bushbuck, sitatunga, giraffe, elephant,
chimpanzees, and velvet monkeys.
The bird life is unique, with birds from east, central and southern
breed they include ibises, storks, egrets, kingfishers, flycatchers
and bee-eaters among others. Tilapia and Nile perch abound in the lake.