NGORONGORO CRATER SAFARI

The Ngorongoro Crater, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a caldera, an ancient, gigantic crater, perhaps as high as modern-day Kilimanjaro. But this caldera collapsed about 2.5 million years ago, after the entire interior, driven by eruption gases, was emptied and poured onto the surrounding plains, forming in particular the upper layer of the Serengeti. It is said that fumaroles are still sometimes present above the centre of the crater. The Ngorongoro Crater (one of the 115 in the conservation area) is now the most densely populated animal area in Africa. For mystics, it is a chalice where nature shows the presence of God by reflecting his splendour. It is a bit like a life-size Noah's Ark!

Orientation in the crater. It shelters Lake Magadi (which means soda), a large alkaline lake more or less dry according to the seasons, where many flamingos come. To the south of the lake is the Leraï forest, inhabited by elephants, cobes and monkeys, which are by definition arboreal. The rhinos also live here at night. They often leave between 8 and 9 am to go to the plains, a little far from the track, where they lie down if it is windy. To the south-east, near the Gorigor swamps, lions are frequently seen behind the tall grass. At the end of these swamps is a pond, Ngoitokitok Springs. This is an area inhabited by elephants, a few hippos and many kites. Going towards the centre of the crater, one can find hyenas, and the hippo pool where, during the day, vehicles get quite close to these aquatic behemoths. To the north, one can drive along the Munge River, near which are the ruins of one of the farms of the Siedentopf brothers, who had started to exploit the crater at the end of the 19th century (the other farm, behind the Leraï forest, is the rangers' building).

An exceptional wildlife reservoir. During a recent census in the rainy season, 55 species of mammals were counted: ostriches, crowned cranes, Kori's bustards, zebras, Thomson's gazelles, Grant's gazelles, wildebeests, hartebeests, elands, cobes, buffaloes, warthogs, jackals, hyenas, lions, elephants, black rhinoceroses, hippos, thrushes, and baboons, not to mention flamingos and dwarf flamingos, leopards present in the slopes, some servals.. Only the cheetah, the giraffe, the damalisque and the impala are missing. It should be noted that a good part of the animals remain trapped in the 600 m of cliffs surrounding the flat bottom of the caldera. Less than half of the wildebeest, zebra, buffalo or Grant's gazelle move out to the outer slopes on the western side in the dry season; ostrich, eland or hippo are completely indigenous. On the other hand, elephants, which are very good climbers, do not hesitate to go and quench their thirst in the plantations on the outer slopes of the eastern side, which of course poses problems with the populations. On the other hand, concerning the black rhinoceros, the Tanzanian authorities bring specimens from South Africa (about 100 000 € the price of the transfer for each).