Located inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Ngorongoro crater is a protected wildlife reserve and nature conservation site found in Tanzania, about 190 Kilometers north west of Arusha. The year 1951 saw the declaration of the expansive Serengeti National Park that encompassed the main Serengeti National Park, as we know it today, and extending all the way to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Ngorongoro Crater Highlands. This was later split into two with Serengeti left as a stand-alone after the establishment of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Today, the conservation area covers a large part of the short grass southern Serengeti plains and the Ngorongoro Highlands; an area with a range of largely extinct ancient volcanoes lying on the Great Rift Valley’s western side.
However, the main highlight of the conservation area is without doubt the Ngorongoro Crater. Once a gigantic volcano, The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact caldera in the world, created when a large volcano exploded and collapsed on itself about two to three million years ago. In 1978, UNESCO declared The Ngorongoro Crater a world heritage site. According to some observers, had the crater not erupted, it would have been higher than the highest peak in Africa- Mt Kilimanjaro.
Today, the focal point of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the 600 meters deep Crater. This natural master piece that many popularly refer to as “Africa’s Garden of Eden” measures about 16 to 19 kilometers in diameter, with the height of its walls measuring between 400 and 600 meters. This is what has placed the crater on the list of the greatest natural wonders of the world. It stands out both as a geological splendour and for being a natural reserve which one of the densest large mammal populations in Africa call home.
The enclosed nature of the Crater has seen it form its own ecosystem. Besides the breathtakingly beautiful setting that The Ngorongoro Crater offers, it is also one of the best places in East Africa to see the Big Five. This is because it boasts of a variety of flora and fauna found in a remarkably compact area all year round. Abundance of water and grasslands attracted various ungulates, big cats and other predators as well as countless bird species. Because of the crater’s enclosed topography, animals that descended into this bowl-shaped place never left.
Its varied vegetation makes it an ideal home to various wildlife species. In the south westerner corner of the crater is Lerai Forest, whose vegetation mainly consists of the yellow fever acacias. On the northern part of the forest lies Lake Magadi, a shallow soda lake that attracts Flamingos and other birds. Gorigor Swamp and Ngoitokitok Springs are found on the eastern part of the crater. This area located close to the picnic site is where you will find ponds of Hippos wallowing in the muddy waters. It is however on the much drier northern part of the crater, which unlike the other parts consists mainly of open grasslands where you will find much of the crater floor’s resident game. Here, the concentration of wildlife is high, from canines to grazers making for an amazing game viewing experience.
The largely flat, mineral rich floor of the bowl like crater is full of nutritious grasses- a favorite for herds of Zebras and wildebeests which you can always find grazing here. It is these extensive open plains that Buffalos also call home together with Thompson and Grant’s Gazelles, Elands and even Topis. Rhinos, probably the highest population of Black Rhinos in East Africa’s are common sightings in open grasslands. The Ngorongoro Crater has a good number of African Elephants and you will find a scattering of elderly bulls, including some of the biggest tuskers surviving in Africa. One notable surprise though on the crater is the absence of Giraffes and Impalas. Many attribute this to the lack of open woodlands and browsing species of trees which these two tend to thrive on.
With a high number of herbivores, it is no surprise that the Ngorongoro crater supports one of the highest populations of predators in Africa. By October 2016, there were five Lions prides in the Ngorongoro crater floor, from a population of about 70 cats. The high chance of seeing these Big cats while on safari has made the Ngorongoro a favorite for almost every tourist visiting the northern Tanzania safari circuit. Although lion sightings vary significantly over periods, the one constant of the Ngorongoro Lions is their ability to go about their life, including hunting and mating with little disregard to the tens of safari vehicles that drive down the crater every day. Here, Lions hunt within meters of a vehicle, and when exhausted by the sometimes-scorching sun, even seek shade beside the jeeps. A good population of Spotted Hyenas thrive here, with regular sightings of these marauding creatures competing for food with Lions. There is a small number of Cheetah, Leopard especially in the forested Lerai area with black backed and side stripped jackals also common. On a lucky day, you will come across a serval cat or even a Caracal, some of the rarely seen cats in East Africa.
The Ngorongoro Crater has something for bird lovers too. Over 500 species of birds have been recorded as inhabitants of the crater. These include Masai Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Secretary Bird, Eagles and Vultures. From November to April, myriads of migratory species find residence here, including the pink lesser and greater Flamingos at Lake Magadi.
Accessibility. From the city of Arusha, it takes about 4 hours to drive to the Ngorongoro Crater. Those who opt to fly can land at the Manyara airstrip, located about one hour away from the Crater. From Ngorongoro, it takes about 4.5 hours to get to Serengeti, again with an option to fly from Manyara to Seronera or any other airstrip in Serengeti.