About Katavi National Park, Western Tanzania
Katavi National Park is located about 40km from Mpanda town in southwest Tanzania Covering an area of 4471 sq km. A true wilderness and seldom visited, Katavi is famous for its undisturbed natural setting compared to other parks in the country. The park is made up of three interlocking flood plains that, in the rainy season form Lake Katavi, Lake Chada, and Chemchem Springs. Between each of these runs the Katuma and Kapapa rivers that supply the park with water in both the dry and the wet seasons.
An estimated 4,000 elephants might converge on the area, together with several herds of 1,000- plus buffalo, while an abundance of giraffe, zebra, impala and reedbuck provide easy pickings for the numerous lion prides and spotted hyena clans whose territories converge on the floodplains. Also to be seen are the elands and the rare sable and roan antelopes.
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During the dry season, when the floodwaters retreat, the Katuma River forms the only source of drinking water. An estimated 4,000 elephants might converge on the area, together with several herds of 1,000- plus buffalo, while an abundance of giraffe, zebra, impala and reedbuck provide easy pickings for the numerous lion pride and spotted hyena clans whose territories converge on the floodplains. Also to be seen are the elands and the rare sable and roan antelopes.
During the rainy season, these lush, marshy lakes are a haven for myriad waterbirds, and they also support Tanzania’s densest concentrations of hippo and crocodile.