22 | The Lion King
SITES OF Tanzania
NGORONGORO CRATER
The crater was formed when a large volca-
no exploded and collapsed on itself two to
three million years ago. It is 610 meters deep
and its floor covers 260 square kilometers.
The crater highlands, on the side facing the
easterly trade winds, are covered largely in
montane forest. The less-steep west wall is
grassland and bushland dotted with Euphor-
bia bussei trees. The crater floor is mostly
open grassland with two small wooded
areas dominated by Acacia xanthophloea.
The Munge stream drains Olmoti Crater
to the north, and is the main water source
draining into the seasonal salt lake in the
center of the crater. This lake is known by
two names: Makat as the Maasai called it,
meaning salt; and Magadi. The Lerai Stream
drains the humid forests to the south of the
Crater, and it feeds the Lerai Forest on the
crater floor - when there is enough rain, the
Lerai drains into Lake Magadi as well.
The other major water source in the crater is
the Ngoitokitok Spring, near the eastern cra-
ter wall. There is a picnic site here open to
tourists and a huge swamp fed by the spring,
and the area is inhabited by hippopotamus,
elephants, lions, and many others. Many
other small springs can be found around the
crater’s floor, and these are important water
supplies for the animals and local Masaai,
especially during times of drought.
AMBONI CAVES
Amboni caves are the most extensive limestone caves in
East Africa. Formed about 150 million years ago, they are
Located 8 km north of Tanga City. The beautiful Amboni
caves are the product of limestone formation sculptured
by nature creating a fascinating and colourful under-
ground world. A distance of about one kilometer is con-
sidered enough to satisfy a visitor’s curiosity. No one is
known to have been able to walk the length of the cave.
flickr.com/photos/wwarby/
Landscape of the ridge at
the edge of the Ngorongoro
Crater, Tanzania
SERENGETI WILDEBEEST MIGRATION
The great Serengeti wildebeest migration is the
movement of vast numbers of the Serengeti’s wil-
debeest, accompanied by large numbers of zebra,
and smaller numbers of Grant’s gazelle, Thomp-
son’s gazelle, eland and impala. This move is an
annual pattern, which is fairly predictable. They mi-
grate throughout the year, constantly seeking fresh
grazing and, it is now thought, better quality water.
The precise timing of their migration is entirely de-
pendent upon the rainfall pattern each year.
