Kigosi National Park
Kigosi National Park
Kigosi National Park was formerly known as Kigosi Game Reserve. This National Park was put in place in the year 2019, and it is situated in the western region of Tanzania. The park is part of the Mayowasi/Malagarasi wetland, complete, and it is home to a diverse wildlife population. The park covers an area of about 826 square kilometres. This park is among the Tanzania safari destinations where you can conduct bird watching since it shelters about 300 bird species, including the wattled cranes, shoebill stork, kingfishers, great snipe, pygmy geese and many more.
While game viewing in the park, you can sight animals in various locations in the park like the flood plains, woodlands and many more. Some of the animals found in Kigosi National Park include the lions, elephants, hartebeests, zebras, warthogs, crocodiles, waterbucks, elands, topi, bushbucks, sitatunga and many more. The park can be accessed by tourists by both road, using a 4 x 4 safari vehicle, and air, using chartered flights.
Attractions In Kigosi National Park
Animals
One of the attractions in the park is the animals that it shelters. There are several wildlife species in Kigosi National Park, and these can be spotted in several locations of the park. Some of the animals in the park include the lions, leopards, elephants, hartebeests, zebras, giraffes, crocodiles, eland, roan, bush buck, oribi, sitatunga, topi, warthogs, baboons, waterbucks and many more.
Birds
The park is a haven for over 300 bird species. These bird species can be spotted in several locations in the park, like the Mayowasi wetland and many more. Some of the birds that are found in the park include the wattled cranes, shoebill storks, pygmy geese, kingfishers, great snipe and many more.
For bird lovers, the best time to visit the park for bird viewing is between the months of November to April in the wet season, when there is growth in the park’s vegetation that attracts these birds towards it, making the spotting of birds easy.
Flood plains
Floodplains are among the major attractions in the park. These floodplains shelter a large number of wildlife in Kigosi National Park. Some of the wildlife that can be seen at these flood plains include the lions, waterbucks, hartebeests, leopards, buffaloes and birds like the shoebill stork. The floodplains are one of the locations in the park that favour bird watching and game viewing.
Miombo woodland
Miombo woodland is also an attraction in Kigosi National Park, characterised by grassy flood plains, floating palm, papyrus islands, among others. The Miombo woodland is a perfect spot in the park where you can have wildlife adventures and spot several animals and birds.
Activities In Kigosi National Park
Game drives
In Kigosi National Park, game drives are one of the activities offered there, and these include day game drives and night game drives. The day game drives enable you to tour the woodlands and plains as you spot several animal species. In the day game drive, it’s like the morning game drives, you can spot animals rising from their habitat, ats, and it is when they are very active.
Some of the animals that you can spot include the elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions, hippos, zebras, warthogs, bushbucks and many more. In the night game drives, you can get the opportunity to spot the nocturnal animals that reside in the park, and some of these nocturnal animals can be seen hunting their prey. The nocturnal animals that you can spot during the night game drives in the park include the lions, leopards, hyenas and many more.
Bird watching
Bird watching is among the activities offered at Kigosi National Park. Bird watching in Kigosi National Park is done all year through. There are over 300 bird species within the park, and some of these bird species include the shoebill stork, pelicans, kingfishers, wattled cranes and many more.
Guided nature walks
In Kigosi National Park, guided nature walks are also done with the company of a guide who helps you tour around the woodlands, wetlands and plains as you sight various wildlife species and also get an experience of the natural environment in the park.
Fishing
Fishing can also be done by tourists who visit Kigosi National Park. Fishing is conducted in the water bodies in this park, where you can get different types ofishis,, like catfish and tilapia.
Boat safaris
Boat safaris are also one of the activities conducted in the park. The boat safaris in Kigosi National Park provide exposure to the wildlife that is sheltered in this park and the various bird species, as you also have views of the several ecosystems in the park.
Best Time To Visit Kigosi National Park
The best time to visit the park is during the dry season in June, July, August and September, though the park is open to visitors all year through. During the dry season, the roads are less muddy and less slippery, making transport easy, unlike in the wet season when the roads are slippery and can not easily be accessed.
In the park, spotting animals is not hard in the dry season because most of the animals gather around the available water sources to get water due to the water shortage in the park. The vegetation in the park is also less thick in the park in dry season because there is less rainfall received, therefore, the animals can be easily seen.
Accommodation Options in the park
In Kigosi National Park in Tanzania, there are no accommodation facilities inside the park. While on a visit to the park, you can opt for camping. Apart from camping, you can also stay at the nearby accommodations close to the park in the towns close to the park, like Tabora and Kigoma.
