KATAVI NATIONAL PARK

OVERVIEW

Katatvi National Park which covers an area of 4471 sq km is a truncated arm of the Great Rift Valley system and runs till the shallow endorheic lake of Lake Rukwa. It is located 40 km from Mpanda town in the south-western Tanzania and the east of Lake Tanganyika.

Katavi’s undisturbed nature and pristine wilderness, and the fact that it is seldom visited, helps it stand out from the rest of the parks in the country. Miombo woodland with Acacia trees scattered all around near Lake Chada is the main vegetation of this park. Katuma River and its associated floodplains (mainly Lake katavi and Lake Chada) are the best spot for game viewing within the park.

The marshy land around the rivers and the lakes, during the rainy season, became a haven for myriad water birds and they also support Tanzania’s densest concentrations of hippo and crocodile. During the dry season, when the flood waters retreat, Katuma River forms the only source of drinking water for miles around, and the flanking floodplains support game concentrations that defy belief. Expect to see more than 4,000 elephants converging at the area along with several herds of buffalo, giraffe, zebras, impala, and reedbuck. These herds become easy targets for numerous lion prides and spotted hyena clans that inhabit the floodplains.