Serengeti National Park Conservation

Serengeti National Park Conservation: Serengeti national park is one of the oldest national parks which are located in Tanzania. This national park is famous for wildlife viewing activities which take place annually at the destination.

Conservation is one of the practices which are encouraged in Serengeti national park. This practice involves protecting of the environment, maintaining and restoring of the natural habitats at a destination.

Serengeti national park was recently recognized at the World Travel Awards as Africa’s leading national park for 2020. This shows how conservation practices have contributed to the promotion of tourism in the national park.

Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) manages Serengeti national park and other national parks in Tanzania. The tourism practices carried out in Serengeti national park provide revenue which is used to promote conservation practices in the national park.

Some of the roles of TANAPA include conservation which is their main role and also promoting the preservation of the rich heritage of Tanzania and to provide a secure breeding ground for the flora and fauna while maintaining balance of the area.

Apart from promoting conservation in Serengeti national park as well as other national parks in Tanzania, TANAPA also encourages sustainable tourism to protect the environment by monitoring and regulating tourism activities at the destination.

TANAPA is also tasked with involving the local community in tourism practices in Serengeti national park as a way of developing cultural tourism and also protecting the national park through different ways such as employing the locals in the lodges, as tour operators, as rangers.

There are also initiatives put in place by TANAPA to involve the local community in sustainable environmental management, promoting cultural and environment conservation and also assisting the local community to develop initiatives from the park revenues.

Tourism which takes place in Serengeti national park also generates awareness of conservation among the local communities and also helps to reduce illegal practices in the national park such as poaching due to the presence of tourists which scares away the poachers.

Tanzania has over the years adopted conservation practices and the first president of the republic of Tanzania the late H.E Mwalimu Julius Nyerere greatly supported conservation in the country giving a high priority to conservation of natural resources with support from the Tanzanian government.

According to HE Julius Nyerere also, the survival of wildlife is a matter of grave concern to everyone in Africa and the creatures in the wild places are a source of wonder and inspiration as well as an integral part of our natural resources.

Another quote from the former president of the republic of Tanzania stated that “in accepting the trusteeship of our wildlife, we solemnly declare that we will do everything in our power to make sure that our children’s grandchildren will be able to enjoy the rich and precious inheritance.

Covering about 14,750 square kilometers, Serengeti national park harbors over 300 wildlife species and 500 bird species and is also known for having the big 5 which include elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos, and rhinos.

Conservation in Tanzania is governed by the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1974 which allows the government of the republic of Tanzania to establish protected areas and also to outline how they are organized and managed.

There are many other different ways through which conservation practices are promoted in Serengeti national park and these include providing training in institutions like schools on different ways to practice conservation.

Offering visits to the national parks in Tanzania like Serengeti national park is another way to show the local community and the public how to practice conservation through demonstrating the importance of preserving the natural habitats.

Activities in Serengeti national park

There are different activities which tourists visiting Serengeti national park can engage in and they include the following;

Game drives are among the commonly carried out wildlife viewing activities which tourists engage in as they visit Serengeti national park. This activity however is governed by certain rules and regulations which are put in place by the national park authorities as a way of promoting conservation at the destination.

Morning game drives and afternoon game drives can be carried out in Serengeti national park as tourists enjoy searching for various wildlife species such as elephants, buffalos, rhinos, antelopes, gazelles, giraffes, elands, dik dik, kudus, zebras, wildebeests and many others.

Guided nature walks

Guided nature walks offer a unique wildlife viewing experience which takes place on foot while searching for wildlife species and getting a close interaction with the natural surroundings in Serengeti national park.

Nature walks help to give the tourists a different perspective on the importance of conserving the natural surroundings in Serengeti national park while appreciating nature. A guide accompanies you as you move on foot in the savannah of the national park during the guided nature walking experience.

Hot air balloon safaris

Hot air balloon safaris in Serengeti national park involves flying over the savannah plains of Serengeti national park while enjoying views of the attractions and different wildlife species at the destination.

This activity is memorable especially in the morning when you can watch the sunset over the open savannah plains of Serengeti national park. A sumptuous breakfast is prepared for the passengers after their hot air balloon safari experience.

Bird watching experiences

There are over 500 bird species in Serengeti national park and they can be seen from November to April which is a good time of the year for bird watching experiences. Birds in Serengeti national park include rufous tailed weavers, vultures, eagles, spur fowls, starlings, yellow throated sand grouse, and secretary birds among others.

All throughout the year, tourists can visit Serengeti national park to experience its amazing attractions such as the wildebeest migration which involves over 2 million wildebeests moving from one destination to another in search of greener pastures between the Mara and Serengeti eco system.

The dedication of TANAPA to promoting conservation in the different national parks can also be seen in their motto which states “sustainable conservation and tourism excellence”.