| Arusha National Park | |
|---|---|
| (ANP) | |
 Mount Meru's Ashcone in Arusha National Park | |
  AMP in Tanzania | |
| Location |  Tanzania,Arusha Region, Meru District Arusha Rural District |
| Nearest city | Arusha City |
| Coordinates | 3°16′0.3″S36°50′5.6″E / 3.266750°S 36.834889°E /-3.266750; 36.834889 |
| Area | 137 km2 |
| Established | 1960 |
| Visitors | 66,808 (in 2012) |
| Governing body | Tanzanian National Parks Authority |
| Website | Park website |
TheArusha National Park (Hifahdi ya Taifa ya Arusha, inSwahili) is a national park of Tanzania, with theIUCN category II located withinMeru District andArusha Rural District of theArusha Region ofTanzania that coversMount Meru, a prominentvolcano with an elevation of 4566 m.[1]
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, theNgurdoto Crater features expansivegrasslands. Meanwhile, the shallow,alkalineMomella Lakes in the northeast display a stunning array ofalgal colors and are renowned for their abundance of wading birds.[2]
Mount Meru is the second highest peak in Tanzania afterMount 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 fromSerengeti andNgorongoro Crater in the west toKilimanjaro National Park in the east. The park is just a few kilometres north east ofArusha, though the main gate is 25 km east of the city. It is also 58 km fromMoshi and 35 km fromKilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).[3]
The history of Arusha National Park is deeply rooted in the presence of theRwa people, the first inhabitants of the region. Their legacy predates significantcolonial exploration and control in the area. In 1876, Hungarian explorerCount Teleki visited theMomella 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.[4]
In 1907, the Trappe family from England settled in the park during the occupation of theBritish'sTanganyika 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.[5]
Initially, the park was established asNgurdoto 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 theWaarusha 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.[6]
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 includegiraffe,Cape buffalo,zebra,warthog, theblack-and-white colobus monkey, theblue 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 andbar-tailed trogon are both possible highlights for visiting birders, whilst the range ofstarling species provide somewhat less gaudy interest.[7]
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