Ngorongoro Crater ::
Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact volcanic crater, has one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.
The crater was formed some eight million years ago when the cone of an active volcano, estimated to be larger than Kilimanjaro, collapsed. This formed a crater more than 2,000 ft. deep and 12 sq. miles in diameter. The volcanic nature of the soils and plentiful water supplies transformed the volcanic cone into a spectacular sanctuary, the Natural Amphitheater, to the many species of wild game and birds that inhabit the crater today. There are numerous habitats within the crater ranging from the Yellow-barked acacia forests of Lerai to the swamps around Ngoitokitok Springs to the pink flamingo mantle of the soda Lake Magadi. Each habitat supports a distinct ecosystem.
An estimated 30,000 animals make Ngorongoro Crater the principal attraction on a Northern Tanzanian Safari. This cross-section of wildlife is diverse and dispersed amongst an amazing array of ecosystems within the Natural Amphitheater. Ngorongoro Crater is home to one of the few remaining populations of Black Rhino in Tanzania and just about every other East African mammal.
Frequent game sightings include "the Big Five": Lion, Elephant, Black Rhino, Buffalo, Leopard
Another distinct phenomenon of the Ngorongoro Region is the successful co-existence of the Maasai Tribe with the wild animals. It is not uncommon to see Maasai Moran (young male warriors) walking their cattle herds to the waters of the crater, carrying a spea for defense against the animals. Within Ngorongoro Conservation Area, on the Naabi Plains between the Ngorongoro Crater and The Serengeti, lies Olduvai Gorge, popularly known as "The Cradle Of Mankind". It was here that Dr. Leakey and his wife Mary first discovered the remains of Zinjanthropus Bosei, a distant ancestor of man believed to be 1.8 million years old and Australopithecus Bosei, the 'Nutcracker Man', a species that became extinct about 1 million years ago. There were also fossilized footprints, remains of ancient tools and bones from various prehistoric species.
