Page 34 - Foxes Safari Camps EBrochure

34

Getting to Know

Mikumi National Park

Mikumi National Park is the gateway to the southern parks and is the third largest park

in the country. Although not as well known as it’s neighbour, Nyerere (Selous) National

Park, the park offers and interesting and stimulating safari experience. Combined with a
visit to the recently created Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Mikumi is perfect for a

3 or 4 night stay on the way to Ruaha or Katavi Parks, or simply as a safari in its own

right.

Stanleys Kopje is situated to the north of the park on a traditional trader and exploration

route taken by Stanley, Burton, Speke and Livingstone (amongst others) on their epic
hourneys to find the source of the River Nile.

Setting off from Bagamoyo, the caravans of porters set forth to explore the often hostile
territory, whilst the Slave Traders trekked from the interior to the coast to auction off

their ill gotten gains. The predominant route of the explorers of this era is from the

coast via the Ruvu River and through the Mkata plains to Lake Tanganyika. The threats
to those expeditions remain in Mikumi where there are plenty of predators and prey to

feast your eyes upon. Lions, Hunting Dog, Cheetah, and Leopard have plenty of

Wildebeest, Impala, Zebra and Giraffe to hunt.

First gazetted in 1964 with additions made to the north and south in 1975, Mikumi has

risen through the ranks to be one of the larger National Parks in Tanzania with an area
of 2320km2. Combined with Selous Game Reserve which borders it to the southwest,

this Greater ecosystem is the size of Denmark.

The park is surround by an arc of mountain and protected land, with the Uluguru
Mountains to the east, the Mbesera, Madzini and Mazunyungu hills to the north and

west.

The ecosystem is rather special as there are 4 major and distinct vegetation zones

converging in Mikumi: miombo woodland from southern Africa, arid bushland from the

north, the coastal zone to the east and the mountains of Uluguru and Ruhumero to the
north and west making a unique eco tonal area.