# Arusha National Park

The Arusha National Park (Hifahdi ya Taifa ya Arusha, in Swahili) is a national park in Tanzania, with the IUCN category II located within Meru District and Arusha Rural District of the Arusha Region of Tanzania that covers Mount Meru, a prominent volcano with an elevation of 4566 m.

## Overview

The national park, while small by Tanzanian standards, boasts a remarkable diversity of landscapes across three distinct ecoregions. To the west, the Meru Crater channels the Jekukumia River, with the peak of Mount Meru standing majestically on its rim. In the southeast, the Ngurdoto Crater features expansive grasslands. Meanwhile, the shallow, alkaline Momella Lakes in the northeast display a stunning array of algal colors and are renowned for their abundance of wading birds.
Mount Meru is the second highest peak in Tanzania after Mount Kilimanjaro, which is just 60 km away and forms a backdrop to views from the park to the east. Arusha National Park lies on a 300-kilometre axis of Africa's most famous national parks, running from Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in the west to Kilimanjaro National Park in the east. The park is just a few kilometres north east of Arusha, though the main gate is 25 km east of the city. It is also 58 km from Moshi and 35 km from Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).

## History

The history of Arusha National Park is deeply rooted in the presence of the Rwa people, the first inhabitants of the region. Their legacy predates significant colonial exploration and control in the area. In 1876, Hungarian explorer Count Teleki visited the Momella area, one of the park's key attractions in the region. Following his visit, he remarked on the abundance of hippopotamuses and black rhinos he observed.
In 1907, the Trappe family from England settled in the park during the occupation of the British's Tanganyika Territory, primarily for farming in Momella, and utilized large portions of the area as a cattle ranch. Mrs. Trappe, the first female professional hunter in East Africa, generously donated a significant portion of the Momella estate to establish a game reserve. This farm was incorporated into the park when it was founded in 1960.
Initially, the park was established as Ngurdoto Crater National Park, encompassing only a small section of what would become Arusha National Park, primarily to protect areas like the Ngurdoto Crater. At that time, Mount Meru was not included in the park's boundaries. In 1967, the park's name was changed to Arusha National Park after the Mount Meru area was added. The name "Arusha" is derived from the Waarusha people who inhabited the western portion of the region. Following Tanzania's independence, the park was officially established, and the entire Mount Meru was integrated into its boundaries.

## Ecology

Arusha National Park has a rich variety of wildlife, but visitors shouldn't expect the same game-viewing experience they find in other national parks of Tanzania's northern circuit. Despite the small size of the park, common animals include giraffe, Cape buffalo, zebra, warthog, the black-and-white colobus monkey, the blue monkey, flamingo, elephant, bushbuck and many other African animals. Leopard populations are present, but rarely seen. Birdlife in the forest is prolific, with many forest species more easily seen here than elsewhere on the tourist route - Narina trogon and bar-tailed trogon are both possible highlights for visiting birders, whilst the range of starling species provide somewhat less gaudy interest.

## Gallery

* Gallery
* Zebra Arusha NP 2015
* Young giraffe with zebra and cape buffalo.
* Blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis), Arusha National Park (2015)
* The Landscape.
* A jungle road.
* Flamingos at the Momella Lake.
* The Lake Momella
* Giraffes in the Arusha National Park.
* The Ngurdoto Crater.
* The Colobus guereza.
* Directional sign within Arusha National Park 2015