Introduction to Natural Reserves: Serengeti National Park
Geological conditions:
Serengeti National Park is in northern Tanzania, located in the eastern Mara Region and Serengeti National Park is located in northern Tanzania, specifically in the eastern Mara Region and the northeastern Simiyu Region.the northeastern Simiyu Region.
Fig.1 A map of Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara National Reserve
As you can see in the map, Serengeti National Park is much larger than the Masai Mara National Reserve. The former has an area of 14,763 square kilometers. We can say that the Masai Mara is a small fraction of the Serengeti Plain, separated by the national border between Kenya and Tanzania.
The Serengeti plain has an altitude range from 1600 meters to 1800 meters above sea level [2]. The highlands in Serengeti result from volcanic activity, which is highly related to the plate tectonics of the Rift Valley.
The main river in Serengeti National Park is the Mara River, which extends from the Masai Mara, as introduced in the last article. The Mara River flows through the plain and eventually into Lake Victoria at Musoma. The Mara River nourishes the dense riverine forests for local inhabitants and plays a crucial role in the Serengeti Ecosystem. Other smaller rivers, like the Grumeti and Mbalaget Rivers, are all seasonal rivers that only appear during the rainy season. The Mara River is the only permanently flowing river in the Serengeti Plain.
Fig.2 The Mara River
One prominent landscape in Eastern Africa is the Eastern African Rift, formed by two tectonic plates moving away from each other. Tectonic movement further leads to the formation of a number of volcanoes in the region. Most of the volcanoes are extinct, meaning that they are unable to erupt for now. Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and Mount Meru are a few of the best-known examples of the Rift’s extinct volcanoes. There is, however, an active volcano, called Ol Doinyo Lengai, which last erupted in 2013.
Fig.3 Ol Doinyo Lengai
The climate in Serengeti is extremely similar to that in the Masai Mara, so I will not spend extra time introducing it.
Biological resources:
Serengeti National Park is incredibly rich in wildlife. The area is home to over 2 million ungulates, 4,000 lions, 1,000 leopards, 550 cheetahs, and around 500 bird species.
The “big five” and the “big nine” we introduced last time can also be seen here, of course.
What is notable is the Great Migration. Millions of ungulates travel together to their final destination: the Masai Mara. Since the Serengeti is much larger than the Masai Mara, most of their journey takes place in the Serengeti.
From December to April in the next year, wildebeests, zebras, and other ungulates inhabit the Serengeti as the abundant precipitation here provides food resources and favorable living conditions. In May, the rainy season ends and the dry season starts. Ungulates start their migration, crossing the Grumeti River and the Mara River, and finally reach their destination in August. They will stay in the Masai Mara for two to three months before migrating back to the Serengeti Plain.
Fig.4 The great migration
The reason ungulates travel such long distances is due to a slight but significant delay in rainfall in the Masai Mara compared to the Serengeti. This postponement provides abundant food resources for ungulates in July and August in the Masai Mara. While these resources are not provided in Serengeti.
Serengeti protection rules
Serengeti National Park, as its name suggests, is a national park, but not a game reserve, like the Masai Mara National Reserve or conservancies. Being a national park means considerably strict protection rules and direct management from the national government.
Unlike game reserves, human activities are much more limited in National Parks. Of course, national parks are still open to everyone who wants to visit, but in order to preserve the local ecosystem, very few people live there. For Serengeti National Park, almost no people reside within its boundaries.
However, there are Masai tribes in the surrounding buffer areas. Buffer areas are areas that connect human and wildlife residence zones. In 1951, after the boundary of the national park was set, the Masai tribes were relocated to the nearby Ngorongoro conservation area.
The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) is responsible for managing all the national parks in Tanzania. Relevant legislation for the protection of the local ecosystem includes the National Parks Ordinance (Cap 412) of 1959, the 1974 Wildlife Conservation Act, and the 2009 Wildlife Conservation Act.
Reference:
- Adventure Alternative. (2024). National Parks in Tanzania | Adventure Alternative. [online] Available at: https://www.adventurealternative.com/tanzania/national-parks/ [Accessed 4 Aug. 2025].
- [2] serengeti.com. (2024). Serengeti National Park travel information – Tanzania. [online]Available at: https://www.serengeti.com/information-serengeti-national-park.php.