Udzungwa National Park
Udzungwa is the largest and most biodiverse of a chain of a dozen large
forest-swathed mountains that rise majestically from the flat coastal scrub of eastern
Tanzania. Known collectively as the Eastern Arc Mountains, this archipelago of
isolated massifs has also been dubbed the African Galapagos for its
treasure-trove of endemic plants and animals, most familiarly the
delicate African violet. Udzungwa alone among the ancient
ranges of the Eastern Arc has been accorded national
park status. It is also unique within Tanzania
in that its closed-canopy forest spans
altitudes of 250 metres (820 feet) to above 2,000 metres
(6,560 ft) without interruption.
Udzungwa National Park supports a diverse, large mammal community including
elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, African Wild dog, eland, waterbuck and sable. Six species
of primate are found here and two are endemic, namely the Iringa (Uhehe) Red Colobus
monkey, and the Sanje Crested Mangabey, which was discovered in 1979. There is
also a rich small bovid community including good numbers of Red, Blue
and Abbots duikers, and bushbuck.
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