UDZUNGWA MOUNTAIN

Things to do
The Park is a magnet for hikers as is quite typical wilderness since the access of most areas is by foot. Mountains climbing , Hiking , bird watching and camping safaris are the major activity in the park, an excellent network of forest trails go through beautiful sceneries, trails are maintained regularly to allow access for visitors in different parts of the park.

Tourists trails
Mountain climbing and Hiking being the major activity, currently there are ten tourists’ trails in the eastern and western part of the park.

Eastern trails
Mwanihana and Lumemo trails for hiking to Mwanihana peak the second highest peak 2500masl, Sanje trails for hiking to Sanje waterfall, Prince Bernhard trail for hiking to Prince Bernhard and Njokamoni waterfall, Sonjo trail hiking to Sonjo waterfall and Njokamoni Mwaya waterfalls trail.

Western trails
Mbatwa trails for hiking to Mwanaluvele cave, Ibito valley and Ng’ung’umbi swamp.

Udekwa trails for hiking to Lohomero peak the highest peak in the park 2576masl, Chavemba peak at Ndundulu Mountains, and Nyumbanitu.

Accommodation
Park facilities Rest house, Twiga hotel, Several campsites have been established inside the park some near to the Park headquarter and other along the trails, those wishing to camp should bring camping gears also there are some hotel, and guest house nearby the park, supplies are available at Mwaya, village near park headquarters.


Fauna

The park is the only one in Tanzania that accommodates eleven primate species with five endemic species of which three are diurnal Sanje Mangabey (Cercocebus sanjei), new discovered monkey (Rungwecerbus kipunji) and Iringa red colobus Monkey(Colobus gordonorum) (both on the IUCN red list), and two nocturnal Matundu dwarf Galago (Galagoides udzungwensis)and Mountain dwarf Galago (Galagoides orinus). Other primates are Black and white Colobus Monkey(Colobus angolensis),Yellow baboon (Papio c. cynocephulus), Blue Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis), Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops).

Note: Strict rules are in place to safeguard you and the primates. Alow at least 2 days to see them – this is not a zoo so there are no guarantees where they will be each day.


The park is also a home to animals like Elephants, Buffaloes, Lion, Leopard, Abbot duikers, Red duikers, Blue duikers, Bushbucks, Bush pigs, Honey badgers, Civets, Hippopotamus, Sables, Klipspringers, pangolins, Mongoose, squirrels, Hyraxes and others. Depending where and when one go.

Birds life
The park has second highest bird diversity in Africa behind only the Ituri forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ornithologist are attracted to Park for an avian wealth as the forest is rich in birds habitat embracing more than 250 species, from the lovely and more than a dozen secretive Eastern Arc endemics species like Rufous winged sunbird and Udzungwa partridge a forest partridge first discovered in 1991 and more closely related to an Asian Genus than to any other African fowl.


Reptiles and Amphibians
The Park also is attractive to herpetologist as harbors a dozen of Reptiles and amphibians which some of them are endemic to the Park like Cnemaspis uzungwae, Phrynobatrachus uzungwensis

Flora
The Park Mountains is unique as the only national park in Tanzania having close canopy and unbroken forest from lowland rainforest at 250m asl rising to highland forest 2576m asl the highest peak in the park. The park has plants from small plants like Saint paullia to big tree over 30m high like Sterculia appendiculata and Antiaris toxicaria.

The park has more than 2500 plants species over 160 species known as medicinal plants, botanists have recently discovered several endemic plants in the park.

The park is also a home to animals like Elephants, Buffaloes, Lion, Leopard, Abbot duikers, Red duikers, Blue duikers, Bushbucks, Bush pigs, Honey badgers, Civets, Hippopotamus, Sables, Klipspringers, pangolins, Mongoose, squirrels, Hyraxes and others. Depending where and when one go.

Birds life
The park has second highest bird diversity in Africa behind only the Ituri forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ornithologist are attracted to Park for an avian wealth as the forest is rich in birds habitat embracing more than 250 species, from the lovely and more than a dozen secretive Eastern Arc endemics species like Rufous winged sunbird and Udzungwa partridge a forest partridge first discovered in 1991 and more closely related to an Asian Genus than to any other African fowl.

 
National Parks:
Lake Manyara
Tarangire
Ngorongoro Cretar
Serengeti
Arusha
Selous Game reserve
Mikumi
Ruaha
Udzungwa
Gombe Stream
Mahale mountain
   
 
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