EDEN
OF AFRICA 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD AREA : 300 Sq. Km. ALTITUDE: 2286
Metres Ngorongoro crater is located west of the great rift valley which
runs from the Red Sea to Lake Nyasa in southern Tanzania. Ngorongoro was an active
volcano some eight million years ago, whose cone collapsed, leaving a crater.
It is the largest unbroken caldera in the world, the second largest extinct crater
in the world, and today shelters the most beautiful wildlife haven left on earth
with a spectacular concentration of wildlife and stunning views. The Crater
is oval in shape, 300Sq. Km in area, 610m deep. There are 25,000 larger animals
within the crater itself. This is undoubtedly the best place to see black rhino
in Tanzania as well as prides of lion that include the magnificent black-maned
males. All of the big five are seen - elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo.
Other game includes: cheetah, hyena, zebra, warthog, impala, hartebeest, eland
and lots of other members of the antelope family and smaller mammals of sorts. Birdlife
includes:- Kori bustard, secretary bird, crested crane, maribou stock, goliath,
heron, beautiful fish eagles, and thousands of colourful flamingoes. More than
a 100 species of bird not found in the Serengeti have been found in the crater. Vegetation:
The crater rim is wooded with mountain forest vegetation. Blooming in acres of
flowers e.g. pink, blue and white lupines, candle white lilies, blue hyacinth.
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