Mkomazi National Park is in northeastern Tanzania on the Kenyan border, in the same district as the Kilimanjaro Region. It was established as a game reserve in 1951 and upgraded to a national park in 2006.

Mkomazi National Park is a hidden gem among Tanzanian parks. Located in Northeastern Tanzania below the Pare and Usambara Mountains slopes, It extends to Tsavo National Park in Kenya. Together, these two parks form the Greater Tsavo Ecosystem, which has an area of 43 square kilometers.

Representing one of TanTanzania’s most unique ecosystems – Mkomazi National Park is the southernmost extension of the Somali semi-arid belt and the Sahel Biosphere – the biogeographic region linking the Sahara Desert with Central Africa. For this reason, several species found in Mkomazi are found nowhere else in Tanzania. Although protected as Mkomazi and Umba Game Reserves since 1951, it was only declared a national park in 2008 when Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) took over management of this 3,200 square kilometer wilderness.

Wildlife in Mkomazi

Since Mkomazi was given National Park status, there has been a dramatic reduction in poaching, cattle grazing, fires, and other illegal activities. TANAPA and the George Adamson African Wildlife Preservation Trust have also improved the road network and established several water catchments. In the last few years, game numbers have increased substantially, with herds of up to a hundred zebras, eland, elephants, and buffaloes being seen. There are many kongoni, giraffes, dik-diks and ostriches, and in the drier areas gerenuk, lesser kudu and beisa oryx. Giant cats are still rare, but with luck, you will encounter serval cats, caracal, wild cats, and wild dogs.

Unique Diversity

Mkomazi National Park is one of the driest areas in Tanzania – in the local Pare language, it means “li”tle water” –”yet it still boasts an incredibly diverse flora and fauna with many endemic species. Of the 1500 plant species identified so far, over 50% do not occur anywhere else. It is a fantastic destination for birdwatchers, with over 400 bird species recorded, including the endemic Violet Wood-hoopoe, FriFriedmann’srk, the Somali Long-billed Crombec, and the Yellow-vented Eremomela.

BEST TIME TO VISIT MKOMAZI NATIONAL PARK

The Dry season, from June to October, is the best time for general wildlife viewing in the park. However, the park is not a prime wildlife viewing destination, and the scenery and views of the mountains are at their best during the wet season, from November to May. This is also the best time to see elephants migrating into the park from Tsavo.