Mikumi National Park

West of the bustling town of Morogoro, Mikumi National Park is small reserve with some lovely scenery – ideal for a two-night stop and a good base for day-trips to the Udzungwa Mountains. Mikumi shares a border and its game populations with the Selous, so you’ll find plenty here, including elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, warthog, impala and buffalo. The vast Mkata plain is often a good place to search for lion, whilst the lucky will spot leopard or even wild dog.

Among the bigger attractions are 10 species of primate, three of which are endemic: the Uhehe (aka Iringa) red colobus, the Matunda galago and the Sanje crested mangabey. The last of these is amongst the world’s 25 most threatened primates. With a day to explore slowly, you’ll usually see the red colobus, along with the black and white Angola colobus. Blue and vervet monkeys and yellow baboons are also common

Wildlife in Mikumi National Park

Zebra, wildebeest, impala and buffalo inhabit the grassy plains of Mikumi National Park. Lion, which prey on these animals, are also quite often seen. Giraffe browse the isolated acacia trees that fringe the Mkata River, where you should also see elephant. Mikumi’s famous and much-studied yellow baboons are plentiful. Rhino disappeared from the park in the 1990s, but the park authorities have announced plans to reintroduce the species.