Ngorongoro Crater: One of attractive world wonders

TANZANIA: THE Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) was once a part of the Serengeti National Park, which was established under the National Park Ordinance of 1948 and implemented in 1951 for the purpose of preserving its natural geographical and ecological make-up.

In 1959, the two National Parks were split into two designated Protected Areas, with varied outstanding universal values and conservational statuses.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) is a state-owned organization under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and was solely established to preserve, conserve, protect, and manage the Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s natural beauty. It has mandate to make it the world’s top tourism destination.

With the NCAA management, you can absolutely make Ngorongoro Conservation Area your best option for your next holiday. The organization uses an international system to preserve and protect the cultural treasures and natural resources of the NCA, creating a friendly atmosphere for both domestic and foreign tourists, students, researchers, as well as tourism and environmental conservation stakeholders.

As one of Africa’s seven natural wonders, NCA was universally recognized as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage in 1979 under the natural and cultural criteria owing to its global importance for biodiversity conservation.

ALSO READ: Ngorongoro recognized as geological heritage site

That came after it had demonstrated by the existence of globally threatened species, the density of wildlife inhabiting the area, and the annual migration of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and other wild animals into the northern plains.

Its cultural recognition stemming from an exceptionally long sequence of crucial evidence related to human evolution and human-environment dynamics.

Due to its exceptionally long sequence of this crucial evidence, spanning nearly four million years to the beginning of this era, including physical evidence of the most important benchmark in human evolutionary development, NCA’s global identity is fairly justified.

At its inception, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area was primarily established as a multi-land use area, where wildlife could co-exist with the most dominant seminomadic Maasai residents, who always move from one place to another in search of water and pasture for their livestock.

Owed to exceptional value of its resources NCA was designated a Conservation Area as far back as 1959. As an Authority entrusted with the management of this Heritage, the key roles for which NCAA was established are to conserve nature and cultural resources available, develop and promote tourism in the area, as well as improve the welfare of indigenous communities.

With this heritage endowment, quality of management of its assets and significance of its functions to the world, NCA was enlisted as a World Heritage Site in 1979. This is one among several such status that NCA is accredited by UNESCO to date.

Many decades after its establishment NCA continues to provide some of the richest habitats that accommodate an abundance of vegetation and wildlife, some of which in the verge of extinction. The level of health of its ecosystem coupled with effective protection of resources from all forms of illegal utilization, has allowed NCA to support sensitive ecological processes that are key to the survival of wildlife species in the entire region.

The ability of NCA to guarantee highly rewarding holiday experience is one of key reasons for its unmatched performance as a tourist destination. Achievement of this magnitude can hardly come from isolated efforts of the Authority alone.

The Government through Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism continues to support the Authority with necessary resources and timely policy interventions which are key in facilitating effective execution of its duties. The oversight role of the Board of Directors of NCAA, on the other hand, has provided a catalyst for its increased efficiency.

As an institution NCAA appreciates the trust of safekeeping of this global heritage that the international community has put on us. It is this trust that strengthens our motivation to continue investing in developing and adopting strategies that ensure our institutional goals are achieved.

So, while keeping within the framework of our traditional roles, NCAA is also striving to align itself with the prevailing technological and socioeconomic dynamics that take place within the local as well as international contexts.

Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact and unfilled volcanic caldera and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s main tourists’ attraction. It is the largest and most scenic crater in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with a large concentration of wildlife. It is also one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders due to its breathtaking natural features. The Ngorongoro Crater is known as a home to over 25,000 animals, including the big five; elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, lions and leopards.

Other animals found in this crater include hippos, hyenas, warthogs, zebras, elands, gazelles, wildebeests, just to name a few. This makes Ngorongoro Crater probably the best site in Tanzania to spot and watch the big five as well as other wild species more easily.

The crater rim and its floor provide the best viewing and photographing opportunities. History records that the crater was the ideal spot on the planet where humans and nature interacted more closely than anywhere else; and today, one can actually glance at the settlements and cemeteries of the area’s earliest occupants.

Geological records show that the cone of the volcanic caldera collapse inwards, forming what is currently known as a crater.

The site is named after a Maasai phrase, ‘orgirra le kkorongorro,’ which means “Big Bowl.” Earlier documentation of the area misspelled the word ‘kkorongorro’ into today’s Ngorongoro with its intricate depth ‘caldera/crater,’ resulting in Ngorongoro Crater. The Ngorongoro Crater is a peculiar geographical feature with diverse habitats such as grasslands, swamps, rivers, and woodlands, making it uniquely abundant in wildlife and vegetation.

It is a natural formation that allows animals to freely wander in and out throughout the year and is well-known for being a better place where local and international tourists can interestingly observe wildlife behavior more easily than any other place.

Geologically, the Ngorongoro Crater was formed approximately 2.5 million years ago when a massive volcano (nearly the size of the present-day Mt. Kilimanjaro) burst and collapsed as a result of continuous tectonic activities and movements.

The area covers almost 260 square kilometers, has a diameter of approximately 20 kilometers, and is a massive volcanic caldera that collapsed to a depth of 610 meters.

Ndutu Plains

The Ndutu plains is located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, on the outskirts of the Southern Serengeti plains. These plains are enriched with tremendous acacia trees, providing a panoramic view across Lake Ndutu and Masek at the other end.

It is one of the best places in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to spot predators and enjoy the stunning landscapes.

Standing here means you’re in the midst of a calving ground for migratory wild animals, specifically the wildebeest migration. It is typically composed of vast swaths of short grassland, soda-lake Masek, marshes, and woodland vegetation that support both residents and migratory animals.

While Ndutu is an excellent game viewing area throughout the year, the best time to visit the Ndutu plains is from the end of December, when the Great Migration herds begin to arrive from the north, until April, when millions of wildebeest, gazelles, and zebras begin their journey northwards again. Due to the seasonal rains, massive herds of wildebeest and zebra can be seen all over these plains at this time of year.

Thousands of calves are born within Ndutu during the calving season, making Ndutu a home for new creatures on Earth. Giraffe, impala, elephant, dikdik, lion, cheetah, leopard, hyena, bat-eared fox, genet, jackal, wildcat, and many other animals end up living in Ndutu. The plains, marshes, and lakes to woodland attract an abundance of bird species.

Empakai Crater

The Empakai crater is one of the multi-volcanic calderas in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, probably with the highest rim of all and a beautiful lake that makes up more than 75% of its crater floor. Among the main attractions inside the crater is the large number of Flamingoes spotted around this Crater’s Lake coastline.

The crater rests on the Ngorongoro highlands and is surrounded by steep-sided wooded cliffs of about 300m high, characterized by lush-green natural vegetation, wildlife, and a variety of bird species. The crater is almost 8 kilometers wide, yet about half of its floor is covered by a deep soda lake, home to flamingoes and other water birds.

While on the edge of the crater rim, you can explore the Oldonyo Lengai Mountain, the Great Rift Valley and Lake Natron with a spectacular panorama. You can also enjoy a nature walk from the rim of the crater or descend to the crater floor to explore various attractions.

You can take a nature walk from the crater rim or descend to the crater floor to explore various available attractions. The Empakaai elevation is approximately 3,200m above sea level on the western side and 2,590m above sea level on the eastern side. It is always shrouded in mist due to its high altitude, and the lake appears emerald or deep blue.