Mikumi National Park is the perfect safari location when you don’t have the time for an extensive safari. The park is also known as the second Serengeti Plains, the open horizons of this park make wildlife viewing a highlight of any visit. Although Mikumi National Park is one of the oldest and fourth largest in Tanzania, it has not become a focus of mass tourism, despite its ease of access. Being part of the Selous ecosystem, adjacent to the Udzungwa Mountains and not far from Ruaha, Mikumi has been partly compared to the northern parks of Tanzania for its vast floodplain grassland, shrubland and forest areas, populated by herds of ponderous elephants, hump-backed wildebeests, aggressive buffalos, coquettish zebras, giant elands and graceful impalas, with their attendant predators, from lions, leopards, hyenas to the rarer wild dogs.
The grounds support impressive herds of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and impala. While legendary giraffe, elephant, and lion sightings are common. The landscape is scattered with the famous baobab trees, black hardwood trees, and grassy plains. And tucked in between three mountain ranges: The Uluguru, Rubeho, and Lumango Mountains ranges. Likewise, it is home to several primate research studies most notably the yellow baboon field study.
Flora & Fauna
The road that crosses the park divides it into two areas with partially distinct environments. The area northwest is characterized by the alluvial plain of the river basin Mkata. The vegetation of this area consists of savannah dotted with acacia, baobab, tamarinds, and some rare palm. In this area, at the furthest from the road, there are spectacular rock formations of the mountains Rubeho and Uluguru. The southeast part of the park is less rich in wildlife, and not very accessible.[citation needed]
The fauna includes many species characteristic of the African savannah. The park contains a subspecies of giraffe that biologists consider the link between the Masai giraffe and the reticulated giraffe. Other animals in the park are elephants, zebras, impala, eland, kudu, black antelope, baboons, wildebeests and buffaloes. At about 5 km from the north of the park, there are two artificial pools inhabited by hippos. More than 400 different species of birds also inhabit the park.[citation needed]
