Katavi National Park

Location

Tanzania,
Katavi Region,
Nsimbo District
Mlele District

NearestcityMpanda

Coordinates6°50′00″S 31°15′00″E / 6.83333°S 31.25000°E

Area4,471 km² (1,726 sq mi)

Katavi National Park
Hifadhi ya Taifa ya Katavi
IUCN category II (national park)
Iconic Hippos of Katavi
Location in Tanzania
Location	Tanzania, Katavi Region, Nsimbo District Mlele District
Nearest city	Mpanda
Coordinates	6°50′00″S 31°15′00″E / 6.83333°S 31.25000°E / -6.83333; 31.25000
Area	4,471 km² (1,726 sq mi)
Established	1974
Visitors	1,500 (in 2012)
Governing body	Tanzanian National Parks Authority
Website	Park website

Katavi National Park is a national park in Tanzania located within Mlele District and Nsimbo District of the Katavi Region.^[1]

Katavi National Park, located in the western region of Tanzania, was originally designated as a game reserve before being officially established as a national park in 1974. Initially covering an area of 1,823 square kilometers, the park was significantly expanded in 1997 to encompass 4,471 square kilometers. Situated approximately 40 kilometers south of Mpanda town, it ranks as Tanzania's third-largest national park, following the renowned Ruaha and Serengeti parks. The area is historically significant as it was originally home to the Rungwa, Manda, and Kimbu peoples, who were the first custodians of this land, contributing to the area's cultural heritage. It is a very remote park that is less frequently visited than other Tanzanian national parks.^[2] The park encompasses the Katuma River and the seasonal Lake Katavi and Lake Chada floodplains.^{[citation needed]}

Ecology

Wildlife features include large animal herds, particularly of Cape Buffaloes, zebras, Masai giraffes, and elephants, plus along the Katuma river, crocodiles and hippopotami which upon annual dry seasons results in mudholes that can be packed with hundreds of hippos.^[3] Carnivorous animals that roam this park are cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, leopards, and lions. Some sources claim a very high biodiversity in the park, although there are also reports of wildlife decline due to illegal hunting and poaching, presumably 'bushmeat' sustenance.^[4] The area south-east of the Park near Lake Chada had the highest mammal numbers.^[5]

Wildlife of Katavi National Park

Tourism

The number of visitors to the park on an annual basis is extremely low, in comparison to better known parks, just above 1,500 foreign visitors out of a total 900,000 registered in the whole Tanzania National Parks system during 2012/13.^[6] A survey of the actual rooms sold by the available 'Safari' style accommodations might reveal the number, but based on total room count and season length, an upper limit can also be estimated. In addition to a public campsite (located at SO 06'39'19.1 E0 031'08'07.9),^[7] as of 2013, there were only three permanent camps permitted to operate at Katavi, namely the Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge^[8] and the Foxes^[9] on the Katuma Plain and the Chada^[10] on the Chada Plain. These camps each have a visitor capacity limit of approximately one dozen each.

Access to the park

Getting to Katavi for visitors will likely be arranged by the hosting camp, with one of the available charter flight services being the Mbali Mbali Shared Charter (operated by Zantas Air Services)^[11] or Safari Air Link.^[12] All flights will require landing on a dirt airstrip; the Ikuu airstrip (near the Ikuu Rangerpost) has minimal services.^[13] It is very approximately a three-hour flight from Katavi to Dar es Salaam and two-hours flight to Mwanza via a small, bush-compatible light aircraft. A flight to Arusha is similarly ~3 hours distant and operates on limited service usually only twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays.

Access to Katavi via ground transportation: estimates vary widely; it is generally discussed not in hours but in days. The town of Mbeya is (550 km/340 miles) distant and is described as a "...tough but spectacular..". drive;^[14] Google Maps indicates that Mbeya is 838 km from Dar es Salaam, making the total distance approximately 1,400 km (870 mi) and requiring 20+ hours. The most direct route to Dar es Salaam as per Google Maps^[15] is approx. 1250 km (~800 miles) and requiring 16+ hours. Arusha is similarly distant: 1000+km /13.5 hours. The percentage of transit on unpaved surfaces is unknown, but parts of all of these routes will definitely be on dirt roads. Since all of the above times from Google Maps assume an average transit speed of 80 km (50 mph), all these indicated travel times should be considered to be optimistic.

v t e Protected areas of Tanzania
National Parks	Arusha Gombe Ibanda-Kyerwa Jozani Chwaka Bay Katavi Kilimanjaro Kitulo Lake Manyara Mahale Mountains Mikumi Mkomazi Nyerere Ruaha Rubondo Island Saadani Saanane Island Serengeti Tarangire Udzungwa Mountains Ugalla River Kigosi Burigi-Chato Rumanyika-Karagwe
Game reserves	Grumeti Ikorongo Kijereshi Kizigo Liparamba Lukwati Lukwika-Lumesule Lwafi Maswa Mkungunero Msanjesi Moyowosi Mpanga-Kipengere Muhesi Ngorongoro Pande Piti Rukwa Rungwa Selous Swaga Swaga Uwanda Pande
Forest reserves and nature forest reserves	Amani Mount Longido Lake Duluti Biharamulo Pugu Hills Kazimzumbwi Vikindu Kilombero Rau Mwambesi West Kilimanjaro Kilombero Pindiro Kilombero West Chenene ChemiChemi Essimingor Kilombero Minziro Mount Hanang Rondo Mkingu Uluguru Mountains Udzungwa Scarp Nilo Chome Mount Rungwe Magamba Meru-Usa Ikwamba Maboto Mamboya Mamiwa Kisara North Ikwamba Uponera
Marine parks and reserves	Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park Mafia Island Marine Park Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve Bongoyo Mbudya Pangavini Fungu Yasini Sinda Kendwa Makatumbi Kimbubu Latham Tanga Marine Reserve Kirui Mwewe Kwale Ulenge Yambe Maziwi Tanga Island Mafia Islands Marine Reserve Shungumbili Nyororo Barakuni Zanzibar Marine Reserve Chumbe Marine Park Menai Bay Conservation Area
Organizations	Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) Tanzania Forest Service Agency (TFS) Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) Marine Parks and Reserves Unit (MPRU) Tanzania Wildlife Division Ngorongoro Conservation Authority

v t e Katavi Region
Capital: Mpanda
Districts	Mpanda Mlele District Mpanda District Mpimbwe District Nsimbo District Tanganyika District, Katavi
Native Peoples	Bende Holoholo Konongo Pimbwe Tongwe Vinza Rungwa
Rivers and Lakes	Lake Tanganyika Lake Rukwa Milala River Ugalla River Rungwa River
Major Cities and Towns	Karema Mpanda
National Parks and Reserves	Katavi National Park Rukwa Game Reserve Inyonga Forest Reserve Northeast Mpanda Forest Reserve Msaginya Forest Reserve Mulele Hills Forest Reserve Rungwa Forest Reserve Kabungu Forest Reserve Ugalla River Forest Reserve Rungwa River Forest Reserve Nkamba Forest Reserve Tongwe West Forest Reserve
National Landmarks	Lake Rukwa
National Monuments	Karema Town

Katavi National Park

Ecology

Tourism

Access to the park

References

External links

Related Articles