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About Ngorongoro |
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Known as one of the ‘wonders of the world,’ the Ngorongoro Crater is
one huge and diverse area, which contains volcanoes, mountains, archeological sites,
rolling plains, rivers, lakes and shifting sand dunes. It is also fascinating to see
scores of wildlife concentrated in the crater and wonder just how they got inside! The
crater supports up to 25,000 large animals - Zebra and Wildebeest accounting for almost
half. Other types of wildlife that can be seen are Buffalo, Elephant, and Black Rhino to
name but a few. Ngorongoro Crater has carnivores in quantity drawn by large herds of prey
animals. Lion, Spotted Hyena, and Cheetah are three main groups of predators. Animals
notably absent are the Giraffe, Topi and Impala. The Giraffe stay away because of
insufficient food at tree level. The Topi are not seen because they compete directly with
the Wildebeest. It remains a mystery why the Impala do not graze at the crater.
One can also visit Ol Duvai Gorge, the
‘Cradle of Mankind’ and the site of spectacular discoveries by Mary and Louis
Leakey. Louis Leakey helped elevate African paleontology to international status. Bones
and teeth of more than 150 species have been excavated and an almost continuous record of
human habitation from the earliest tool users to the Stone Age has been recreated from
excavated artifacts. You can also observe the Masai tribe dressed in traditional clothing
herding cattle, sheep and goats.
Another archeological marvel is the Engakura Ruins
in the northern end of the conservation area. The ruins feature a terraced building with a
complex irrigation system, which is very unusual for this part of Africa.
Covering a huge expanse of terrain between the
Serengeti and Lake Manyara National Parks, the crater is said to have been as high as Mt.
Kilimanjaro millions of years ago. When its volcanic activity ceased, the mountain caved
in on itself, creating the world’s largest unbroken crater. Ngorongoro crater is 610
meters deep and covers 260 square km.
Ngorongoro Crater contains an invaluable
combination of culture, biology and geography. It is hard to resists visiting this
‘wonder of the world’. |
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