Serengeti Conservation Area Safari
 |
Serengeti Sunset
Source: http://.bp.blogspot.com/_NEdFC0vrFT8/SDVav8ruMdI/AAAAAAAAAEw/_8Zcr1jhjec/S692/serengeti+sunset.jpgDistinguished members of Harvard class of 1973, ‘74, and ‘75 welcome to the African Landscapes Safari. You have been specifically chosen to attend this tour because we feel that the issues that this landscape is facing are ones that you are concerned with as Tanzanian citizens. As key players in the government, in regional and global economies as well as in humanitarian and environmental organizations you have the ability and the power to affect some of these issues and influence change for the better. We are excited to show you an amazing part of Africa and to share with you the history, politics, economics and other related issues that threaten this landscape. By visiting the area you will have a stronger grasp of the situation and the factors that play into it.
This week we are going to take you to the Serengeti Conservation Area, which is an area roughly the size of Sicily. It lies between the shores of Lake Victoria in the west, Lake Eyasi in the south, and the Great Rift Valley to the east.[i] We will begin our journey at the Maasai Mara Reserve in Kenya and make our way to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park. At the end of the week we hope that you will leave with an appreciation for this incredible landscape and an understanding of the issues that endanger its survival so that you are inspired to join us in the effort eradicate them. Below is a preliminary itinerary and overview of the Serengeti Conservation Area and the relevant issues of landscape.
Itinerary
Day 1 Southeastern Serengeti National Park
- Drive from Arusha to Lake Ndutu
- Serengeti Plain game drive - the Moru, Simba, Gol and Barafu Kopjes
- Stay at Sopa Lodge[ii]
Day 2 Central and Northwestern Serengeti National Park
- Serengeti Plain game drive - Seronera River Circuit, Lobo Hill Kopjes
- Drive to Bologonja Springs
- Stay at Klein’s Camp[iii]
Day 3 Travelling
- Drive back to Arusha
- Fly to Nairobi
- Fly to Maasai Mara
- Stay at Fairmont Mara Safari Club[iv]
Day 4 Maasai Mara National Reserve
- Hot air balloon safari
- Maasai Mara game drive
- Walking safari with Maasai warriors
- Stay at Fairmont Mara Safari Club
Day 5 Travelling
- Fly to Nairobi
- Fly to Arusha
- Drive to the Ngorongoro Crater
- Stay at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge[v]
Day 6 Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Half-day Game drive in the Crater
- Game drive - Ol Donyo Lengai and Olduvai Gorge
- Stay at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
Day 7 Travelling
- Drive back to Arusha
- Fly home
Overview of the Serengeti Conservation Area and its Issues of Landscape
The Serengeti Conservation Area is a geographical region that spans about 30, 000 km2 from north‐western Tanzania to south‐western Kenya. It is an ecosystem that extends beyond the boundaries of the Serengeti National Park and it includes the Serengeti National Park, the Maasai Mara National Reserve, the Loliondo Controlled Area, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa Game Reserve, Grumeti Controlled Area and the Ikorongo Controlled Area.[vi] Of these areas we will visit the Serengeti National Park, the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. These three areas are in the path of the largest annual wildlife migration of in the world and occurrence that is central to the issues of landscape that are affecting this area.
 |
Map of the Serengeti Conservation Area
Source:http://www.utalii.com/Serengeti/images/serengeti%20map.gif
The Serengeti National Park
Our first destination is the Serengeti National Park, 335km from Arusha. At 14,763 km2, the park is bigger than Northern Ireland. It borders Lake Victoria to the west and Kenya in the north. The Serengeti National Park’s history as a conservation area began in 1921 when the scarcity of lions due to excessive hunting led British colonial powers set up a partial 3.2 km2 Game Reserve. In 1929 it was expanded to an area of 2286 km2 and covered what is now southern and eastern Serengeti. In 1940 it became a protected area and in 1951 the Serengeti National Park was established. It covered what is now southern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro highlands. In 1959 Ngorongoro was established as its own conservation area and the Serengeti National Park was expanded to its current size.[vii]
 |
Map of the Serengeti National Park Source: http://www.tanzaniaodyssey.com/images/map_map-of-the-serengeti.jpg |
Wildlife migration is strongly linked to rainfall and soil geology. Soil and rock formations in the southeastern plains of the Serengeti are a result of volcanic activity related to the Rift Valley, which includes the still active Ol Doynio Lengai. The Serengeti plains are also punctuated with kopjes from the late Precambrian when liquid granite forced its way up the Earth's crust.[x] Elsewhere sedimentary soils of volcanic ash or limestone formed a nearly impenetrable hardpan rock layer over time sometimes of a depth up to 150 meters. In the Pleistocene age (2,588,000 to 12,000 years ago) the crater highlands were active volcanoes. Ash from them was blown westwards creating thin fertile topsoil in the eastern Serengeti above the hardpan rock layer.[xi] During the rainy season, water is absorbed into the fertile volcanic soil allowing shallow rooted grasses to flourish and creating water holes for animals to use. As the dry season approaches the water evaporates quickly and most of the grass dies. The high rate of evaporation, lack of non-alkaline water sources and little permanent water means that animals can only stay in eastern Serengeti during the rainy season when water collects in pools on kopjes.[xii] Hollows in the rock surfaces provide catchments for rainwater. Kopjes often become small refuges for wildlife in the Serengeti plains during the dry season. They can trap dense layers of soil that carry water and allow plants to grow and provide shelter for animals in their holes, cracks or caves.[xiii] The soil in the Serengeti becomes progressively deeper and less alkaline towards the northwest plains and into the woodlands of the Maasai Mara.[xiv] Animals migrating across through the northwest Serengeti plains to the Maasai Mara between April and June are able to find food to eat and water that is stored in the deeper soil for a longer period of time.
 |
Wildebeest Migrating Source: http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/E001284.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=EDF6F2F4F969CEBDDD77343620014C296296704FE0EDBE1957E5E20E54B0ADE4 |
The Maasai Mara National Reserve
From the Serengeti National Park we will make our way to the Maasai Mara National Reserve was established in 1948 by the British colonial government as a wildlife sanctuary at the time it only covered 520 square kilometers of its current area. In1961 the Maasai Mara Wildlife Santuary was extended to towards the east to cover 1,821 km2 and was converted into a game reserve. 1672 km2 of the game reserve was given national reserve status in 1974 and the remaining 159 km2 was returned to the local Maasai community that had been pushed out of the area to make way for the game reserve. Additional land was given to the Maasai beginning in 1976, and by 1984 the reserve was reduced to 1,510 km2.[xv]
 |
Map of the Maasai Mara National Reserve Source: http://www.masai-mara.com/mmvm.gif |
The Maasai Mara consists mainly flat rolling grasslands punctuated with the occasional flattop acacia tree. The Maasai Mara is only a small portion of the Serengeti Conservation Area, yet without it the entire ecosystem would collapse. It receives between 500 mm and 750 mm of rain[xvi] because of the altitude (1650 meters) and humidity of lake Victoria, located 160 km west.[xvii] Rainfall occurs in two seasons, a long one from March to May and a shorter one from November to December. Its unique climate allows for high rainfall, permanent bodies of water and high grass yields that are critical for animals that stay in the area between July and October each year during the dry season.[xviii]
 |
Balloon Safari in Maasai Mara National Reserve Source: http://www.safarisonline.co.uk/Elephants%20Baloon.jpg |
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Our final destination is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a 8288 km2 region that includes the Ngorongoro Crater,[xix] Ol Doinyo Lengai, only active volcanic mountain in Africa and the Olduvai Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where some of the oldest hominid fossils have been found[xx]. The Ngorongoro area was part of the Serengeti National Park when it was created in 1951. In 1959 it the two were divided and the Maasai who lived in the Serengeti National Park were forced into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Currently the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to over 42,000 Maasai that like in 16 villages,[xxi] it is the only conservation area in Tanzania that allows human habitation. Land use is tightly controlled and all cultivation with above the subsistence levels is prohibited in order to maintain the natural ecosystem.[xxii]
 |
The Ngorongoro Crater Source: http://www.shabbs.com/eastafrica/NgorongoroCrater.jpg |
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area consists of flat plains and the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest unbroken volcanic caldera. The crater was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself some two to three million years ago and is about 610 m deep and its floor covers 260 km2.[xxiii] Its diverse landforms and altitudes have created several distinct habitats; there are dense forests that cover the slopes of the crater, flat grassy plains in the crater and undulating grasslands outside the crater. Climate also varies with lowland areas receiving 430 mm of rain a year and highland areas receiving over 1700 mm.[xxiv] Animals travel to the Ngorongoro at the end of the short rainy season. Migration begins at the end of December and continues till March.
Ecology in the Serengeti Conservation Area
 Annual Rainfall in the Serengeti Conservation AreaSource: Sinclair, A. R. E.. "Historical and Future Changes to the Serengeti Ecosystem."Serengeti III: human impacts on ecosystem dynamics. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2008. 16. Print |
 |
Annual Average of Maximum Daily Temperature Source: Sinclair, A. R. E.. "Historical and Future Changes to the Serengeti Ecosystem."Serengeti III: human impacts on ecosystem dynamics. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2008. 15. Print |
 |
| Vegetation in the Serengeti Conservation Area Source: Sinclair, A. R. E.. "Historical and Future Changes to the Serengeti Ecosystem."Serengeti III: human impacts on ecosystem dynamics. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2008. 17. Print |
 |
| Topography of the Serengeti Conservation Area Source: Sinclair, A. R. E.. "Historical and Future Changes to the Serengeti Ecosystem."Serengeti III: human impacts on ecosystem dynamics. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2008. 10. Print |
 |
Lithology of the Serengeti Conservation Area Source: Sinclair, A. R. E.. "Historical and Future Changes to the Serengeti Ecosystem."Serengeti III: human impacts on ecosystem dynamics. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2008. 14. Print |
Threats to the Serengeti Conservation Area
The biggest threat to the survival of the Serengeti Conservation Area ecosystem comes from the Tanzanian government. In May 2010 the Tanzanian Government announced it’s intent to build commercial 480km tarmac road, cutting directly through the Serengeti. This is in order build infrastructure connect farmers to markets, to link communities and encourage business and trade between the northwestern cities and the eastern and southern parts of the country. A highway through the Serengeti would be the shortest route between the population centers that surround of about 1.3 million animals that migrate back and fourth to Maasai Mara during the dry and rainy season. Scientists are estimating that there could a potential loss of over 1.1 million animals and the Serengeti might lose its World Heritage status.[xxv]
Economically building the highway is a great risk to take. The highway is budgeted at $470,000,000, nearly half a billion dollars, a sum that the Tanzanian government is hoping will come from a foreign sponsor like China by January 2012.[xxvi] The international response over the project has so far been very negative and Tanzania may face losses of up to $440 million in tourist revenues from the backlash of building the highway in just 8 years.[xxvii] The decline in tourists will greatly impact the job market and Tanzania could see a loss of over 150,000 jobs. 1 in 16 people depend on tourism for a living and the Serengeti is the biggest attraction in Tanzania. Over 100,000 visitors go to the Serengeti every each year, driving Tanzania’s billion-dollar safari business by producing millions of dollars in park fees. [xxviii]
The government is currently ignoring the negative press that they are receiving and seem resolute about building the highway. The Frankfurt Zoological Society, which is involved in wildlife research in the National Park, has recently come up with an alternative route south of the park, which they say will link up more towns and spare the wildlife.[xxix] Tanzanian officials have refused the plan saying that that the original route through the park is better. They have vowed that if no donors come to their aid they will build it themselves.[xxx]
 |
Proposed Serengeti Highway Source: http://actionnownetwork.com/home/contents/wp-content/uploads/MAP%20OF%20SERENGETI%20HIGHWAY.gif |
Part of the problem is that the government has the support of some of its people. International protest over the highway is seen by many citizens as interference into Tanzania’s internal affairs. Some have likened it to neo-colonialism.[xxxi] In order to combat this problem we must first begin by showing the Tanzanian people that wildlife is important, not more important than people but that it greatly affects their economy and livelihood. As people in power in your various posts in government, lobby groups, business firms, Aid organizations etc. you can effect change. Some of you are in positions where you can directly apply pressure on the Tanzanian government. Others of you have access to powerful organizations like the United Nations and can bring this issue to their attention. And some of you are leaders in the tourism industry and will be greatly affected by the building of this highway. It is in your best interest and Tanzania’s best interests for all you rally behind this issue so that a viable alternative can be found.
[i] The Serengeti Ecosystem."Safari Mappers. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2010. <www.safarimappers.com/area.aspx?lngareaid=27>.
[ii] http://www.sopalodges.com/serengeti/home.html
[iii] http://www.kleinscamp.com/
[iv] http://www.fairmont.com/marasafariclub
[v] http://www.ngorongoro-crater-lodge.com/?gclid=CIKU9e7w7qUCFeFw5QodKjVPog
[vi] "Serengeti - The National Park's Official Site." Serengeti - The National Park's Official Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.serengeti.org/index
[vii] "The official site of the Tanzania National Parks - Serengeti National Park." The official site of the Tanzania National Parks - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.tanzaniaparks.com
[viii] Heale, Jay, and Winnie Wong. "Introduction." Tanzania . 2nd ed. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009. 16. Print.
[ix] "World Conservation Monitoring Center." United Nations Environmental Program. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/pdf/Serengeti.
[x] Sinclair, A. R. E.. "Historical and Future Changes to the Serengeti Ecosystem."Serengeti III: human impacts on ecosystem dynamics. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2008. 12. Print.
[xi] Sinclair, A. R. E., and Peter Arcese. "Serengeti Past and Present." Serengeti II: dynamics, management, and conservation of an ecosystem. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1995. 6. Print.
[xii] Shetler, Jan Bender. "Ecological Landscapes."Imagining Serengeti: a history of landscape memory in Tanzania from earliest times to the present. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2007. 32. Print.
[xiii] http://www.serengeti.org/index_discover.html
[xiv] Sinclair, A. R. E., and Peter Arcese. "Serengeti Past and Present." Serengeti II: dynamics, management, and conservation of an ecosystem. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1995. 6. Print.
[xv] Walpole, Matt J.. Wildlife and people conflict and conservation in Masai Mara, Kenya. London [etc.].: International institute for environment and development (IIED), 14. 2003. Print.
[xvi] Sinclair, A. R. E., and Peter Arcese. "Serengeti Past and Present." Serengeti II: dynamics, management, and conservation of an ecosystem. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1995. 172. Print.
[xvii] Hodd, Michael . East Africa handbook: the travel guide. London: Footprints Handbooks, 167. 2002. Print.
[xviii] Sinclair, A. R. E., and Peter Arcese. "Serengeti Past and Present." Serengeti II: dynamics, management, and conservation of an ecosystem. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1995. 169. Print.
[xix] Zeppel, Heather. "Wildlife and Forest Ecotourism." Indigenous ecotourism: sustainable development and management. Wallingford, UK: CABI Pub., 2006. 144. Print.
[xx] “Serengeti - The National Park's Official Site." Serengeti - The National Park's Official Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.serengeti.org/main_footprints.html>.
[xxi] Zeppel, Heather. "Wildlife and Forest Ecotourism." Indigenous ecotourism: sustainable development and management. Wallingford, UK: CABI Pub., 2006. 144. Print.
[xxii] Briggs, Philip. "Ngorongoro Conservation Area." Northern Tanzania: with Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar : the Bradt safari guide. Chalfont St. Peter: Bradt Travel Guides ;, 2006. 198. Print.
[xxiii]Pavitt, Nigel. Africa's Great Rift Valley . New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2001. 135. Print.
[xxiv] Lucas, P. H. C.. "Case Studies Around the World." Protected landscapes: a guide for policy-makers and planners. London: Chapman & Hall, 1992. 107. Print.
[xxv] "Frankfurt Statement on the Proposed Serengeti Commercial Road." Frankfurt Zoological Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <www.zgf.de/?id=72&reportId=85&language=en
[xxvi] Ihucha, Adam. "Government to build highway through sensitive Serengeti." ippmedia.com. The Guardian, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=17741>.
[xxvii] Ibid.
[xxviii] Gettlemen, Jeffrey. "Serengeti Road Plan Offers Prospects and Fears." The New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2010. <www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/world/africa/31serengeti.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1>.
[xxix] "Frankfurt Statement on the Proposed Serengeti Commercial Road." Frankfurt Zoological Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <www.zgf.de/?id=72&reportId=85&language=en
[xxx] Gettlemen, Jeffrey. "Serengeti Road Plan Offers Prospects and Fears." The New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2010. <www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/world/africa/31serengeti.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1>.
[xxxi] Ihucha, Adam. "Government to build highway through sensitive Serengeti." ippmedia.com. The Guardian, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=17741>.
