Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The (caldera) crater is one of the few natural places in East Africa for sighting the rare African black rhino in their natural setting. With its unbroken and unfolded walls Ngorongoro crater acts as a refugee camp for wildebeests and zebras during the great migration in Serengeti National Park. Scientifically the formation of this volcanic depression is caldera but traditionally it has been booked as crater. Ngorongoro crater is located between Manyara and Serengeti National Parks respectively. The crater covers an area of 250 square kilometers and a depth of 600 meters above the level of surrounding area.
Within the crater are large population of thousands of wild mammals and reptiles. The mammals include Thomson’s gazelles, zebras, wildebeests, elephants, buffaloes, lions and reedbucks.
Lake Magadi is an ideal place to view hippos and birds of different species including goliath, flamingos and pelicans more than 300 species are recorded. Ngorongoro crater is just a part of Ngorongoro conservation area (NCA) with other famous areas of Mountain Ol’doinyo Lengai, Lake Natron, Embakaai crater, Lake Embakaai, Oldupai Gorge, Lerai forest and other highlands.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area: Spanning vast expanses of highland plains, savanna, woodlands, and forests, the area was established in 1959 as a multiple land use area, with wildlife co-existing with the Maasai. It includes Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest caldera, and Olduvai Gorge, a 14 km (8mi) long deep ravine. A large population of animals live in the crater, including the endangered black rhinoceros, wildebeest, zebras and gazelles.