Tanzania 26 - Arusha National Park - Wildlife

27 December 2014

Before taking an afternoon flight to Addis Ababa and then on to Mumbai, we had a morning excursion to Arusha National Park. Like Lake Manyara, Arusha is a small, but ecologically significant park. It spans the area from Mt Meru to the Ngurdoto Crater and is surrounded by unprotected lands. While by this time we were familiar with most of the northern Tanzania wildlife, Arusha still had some surprises.

Mammals

Arusha National Park is one of the few places with a population of the black & white colobus (monkey). We only saw one.

A bushbuck doe. Bushbucks prefer to spend their time in the shelter of dense forests.

Giraffes were plentiful in Arusha. This young giraffe sports two bushy knobs.

By the time they reach adulthood, most of the hair has been worn off a giraffe's knobs.

Birds

While the flamingoes took center stage in Arusha, we saw a number of other species.

Augur buzzard

Augur buzzard coming in for a landing. Its chestnut-red tail is prominent.

Flamngoes, thousands of flamingoes

The first hint of the flamingoes to come. The pink "scum" in the middle of the lake and around the edges is really masses of flamingoes.

A small group of flamingoes feeding in the shallow waters at the edge of the lake.

Two lesser flamingoes.

A lesser flamingo in flight. When open, the wings are really spectacular with the pink bands and black edging.

Classic flamingo poses.