Africa is a unique, incredibly beautiful continent with which no other corner of the planet can be compared. We want to tell you about what National parks and there are reserves in Africa, where the main property of the continent in the field of flora and fauna is concentrated and preserved.
Main national parks and reserves
Consider the features, attractions and locations of major nature reserves and national parks Africa.
Kruger and Bwindi National Parks in Africa
The oldest natural Park in the Republic of South Africa and one of the largest nature reserves in Africa.
Bears the name of S. J. P. Kruger- the president of the country in the period from 1880 to 1900, who first put forward the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a reservation in order to protect wildlife and hunting restrictions. Later, in 1926, the first national natural park in the country was created on the site of the reserve.
The park is known for its historical artifacts - traces of ancient look people - Homo erectus - 500 years ago, the remains of dwellings, more than 100 places with rock paintings.
The territory of the Kruger Park is home to a variety of wild animals of 150 species, their concentration here is the highest on the continent. There are also about 420 species of birds in the park.
The type of vegetation here is more characteristic of a savanna with little forest cover.
The Kruger Nature Reserve includes several small private parks, such as, for example. Its feature is a professionally organized safari. Here everything happens calmly and measuredly, there is no large flow of tourists. Service - on high level. The only downside is the rather high price.
bwindi national park in wooded highlands in southwestern Uganda with an area of 330 sq. km near the border with the Congo. The relief of the park is mountainous, in some places flat, there are several small rivers.
Basically, the territory of Bwindi is an impenetrable jungle.
The climate here is typical for the jungle - pronounced tropical.
The biological system of the park is rich in diversity living here:
- animals - about 150 species;
- birds - 350 species;
- butterflies - about 200 species.
The main living attraction of Bwindi is mountain gorillas, almost half of the entire terrestrial population of this animal species lives here.
The local flora is also interesting - more than 200 species of plants. There are about 100 varieties of ferns alone here.
Rwenzori and Virunga National Parks in Africa
Rwenzori is a nature reserve located in the mountain range of the same name in Uganda.
In Rwenzori are:
- one of the highest mountain peaks of the continent - Margherita - 5100 m high;
- several lakes and waterfalls;
- glaciers on mountain tops.
The most famous and largest river in Africa, the Nile, originates on the territory of the reserve.
The park is rich in magnificent saturated vegetation.
Among the animals in the reserve there are enough rare species, for example, some species of primates.
The gorilla watching tour is popular.
national park Virunga(until 1962 - Albert Park) is located in a mountainous area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa near the border with Uganda. The area of the reserve is about 8000 sq. km.
The nature reserve in these places was created in 1925 - during the colonization of the DR Congo by Belgium (1908-1960) - and was originally named after the Belgian King Albert I.
The territory of the park can be divided into three geographical parts:
- northern, where the Rwenzori mountain range is located;
- central with flat terrain and Lake Edward;
- the southern one is directly the Virunga mountain complex with several volcanoes, including active ones.
Nature in all parts of the park is very diverse, with unique landscapes rich in flora and fauna. Many species of birds (more than 700) live here permanently or come for wintering.
The main inhabitants of the Virunga Park are mountain gorillas, which mainly live on the slopes of the mountains.
Garamba and Salonga National Parks in Africa
Garamba Reserve located in the northeastern part of the DR Congo near the border with Sudan.
The area of the park is 4.5 thousand square meters. km is occupied by savannas, tropical forests and meadows.
Garamba is famous for the northern white rhinoceros living here - a subspecies of the rhinoceros, which practically disappeared in the 80s of the last century and is considered close to extinction now.
The reserve also boasts a large colony of elephants and giraffes.
Salonga. Another one from nature reserves The DR Congo is located in the Congo Basin, and tourists can only get into the park by water.
The park was created to protect the rainforest.
The diversity of the animal and feathered world here is not as great as in other reserves, but it is quite interesting in its composition. Here you can find:
- bonobo primates living only in these places;
- gray African parrot (Jaco) and Zairian peacocks;
- narrow-faced African crocodile.
Cameo National Park and Nyasa Reserve
Cameo National Park in Angola, which has been such since 1957.
The area of the park is relatively small - 1500 sq. m. This is a predominantly flat area, with small woodlands and thickets of shrubs and reeds.
Several rivers flow on the territory of the reserve, which have influenced the structure of the relief of the parks, and also periodically flood its territory. Also in the reserve are lakes, one of which - Dilolu - is the largest in Angola.
Such saturation of water bodies predetermined the saturation in the adjacent territories of a large number of aquatic species birds.
Of the mammals on the territory of the Cameo Park, the most common species of antelopes are found.
Nyasa - nature reserve, including the lake of the same name and the surrounding area. It is located on a plateau at an altitude of about 1400 m above sea level.
Lake Nyasa was formed as a result of filling with water a huge depression (depth - more than 700 m) between the states of Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. Its total length is 590 km.
The coastal relief is diverse: from plains and beaches to mountains descending directly into the water of the lake.
One and a half dozen local rivers flow into the lake, which feed it with fresh water.
In the waters of this huge lake, a large number of species of fish live - about 1000, as well as crocodiles.
On the Mozambican side of the lake, near the border with Tanzania, there is a reserve with more than 400 species of birds, with a traditionally developed animal population.
Tourism in the Nyasa reserve is most developed from Mozambique and Malawi, where you can have fun by staying on one of the islands.
Kilimanjaro National Park in Africa
The reserve is located in the northern part of Tanzania and is famous for the highest point in Africa located on its territory - the Kilimanjaro volcano (5895 m).
Kilimanjaro is the first and main attraction of the park. Many come here just to climb one of the three peaks along the routes developed for this. Climbing some of them is relatively easy, the only difficulty is the acclimatization process, because to get to the top, you need to cross several climatic zones.
Climbing is best planned for any time of the year except for the rainy season (October-November, March-April).
Climbing the mountain, tourists can see:
- a unique attraction - the snowy peak of the mountain and the glacier in the middle of Africa;
- the stunning sight of an extinct volcano crater;
- several beautiful mountain lakes;
- a mountain plateau that connects two peaks of a mountain.
The vegetation of the park is very rich and diverse, as it changes along with the change of climatic zones when climbing to the top.
At the base of the mountains there are picturesque tropical forests and savannah; several interesting hiking trails for tourists have been developed here.
Serengeti and Ngorongoro National Parks
Southeast of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is another of the famous national reserves of Africa - Serengeti. By the way, Tanzania is the country where Africa has the most nature reserves.
The area is more than 15 thousand square meters. km, it is the largest in the country.
The ecosystem of this reserve is the least affected by human activity.
On the huge plateau The area where the park is located is home to many species of animals and birds. It is very interesting to watch them, for example, during a safari.
Particularly impressive are the spectacles of animal migration during periods of drought, when endless living strings move, passing a total of thousands of kilometers.
Central attraction Ngorongoro Reserve in Tanzania, formerly part of the Serengeti park, is considered an extinct destroyed crater of an ancient volcano.
Its dimensions are amazing:
- diameter - more than 20 km;
- depth - 610 m;
- total area - 270 sq. km.
It is interesting that a unique biosystem has formed in the crater - many species of animals living here have never been outside of it. The total number of animals inhabiting the crater exceeds 25 thousand.
Inside the crater is unusual lake Magadi is salty, formed by hot springs.
The lake is inhabited by several interesting views birds, including flamingos, herons and pelicans.
On the slope near the crater is the grave of German zoologists Bernhard and Mikael Grzimek, who made a huge contribution to the study, preservation and popularization of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro parks.
Rungwa Game Reserve, Masai Mara and Selous
Rungwa- Another of the national parks of Africa in Tanzania, the second in terms of area.
Several riverbeds stretch across the territory of the park, the largest of them - Ruaha - with whirlpools and picturesque backwaters. Some of the rivers are very dry.
Such saturation with water bodies predetermined the diversity of the animal living in Rungwa and flora.
It should be noted the difficult passability of these places, which made it possible to keep the biosystem of the reserve practically untouched. Walking is allowed in some parts of the park.
Selous Reserve. The largest nature reserve in Tanzania and on the continent - its area is about 45,000 square meters. km, named after the British traveler and explorer F.K. Selous.
- The Rufiji River runs through the park.
- More than 2,000 species of plants and trees grow in the park, as well as large tracts of mangrove forests.
- Variety of birds - more than 400 species.
- The animals living in the park are typical representatives of the African savannah, although the record number of buffalo, elephants and hippos live in Selous.
- Hunting safaris are held in the southern half of the park.
Masai Mara National Park located in Kenya, in its southwestern part.
The park has become a natural extension of the nearby Serengeti reserve.
Masai Mara got its name from the Masai people, whose tribes historically settled in this territory, near the Mara River. The park is a savannah overgrown with grass and shrubs, swampy in places, with acacia groves.
Like the Serengeti, the Masai Mara is famous for its spectacular migrations. numerous kinds animals.
There is a colossally large population of wildebeest - more than a million heads, as well as lions and leopards.
Hippos and crocodiles are often found in local rivers.
Tourists are more popular with the eastern sector of the reserve, which is territorially located closer to the capital of the country - Nairobi (220 km).
Tsavo and Amboseli National Parks in Africa
Tsavo park in Kenya, one of the world's largest natural parks (area - 20,000 sq. km).
The landscape of the park is predominantly savanna, covered with shrubs, swampy in places.
Several rivers flow through the territory, the largest is Galana, sometimes there are lakes, springs gushing out of the ground and small waterfalls.
The park is famous for its diverse wildlife, as well as an abundance of birds, and here you can meet quite rare animals.
In terms of tourism, the most developed East End reserve Tsavo with a tourist center in the town of Voy.
In the western part of the park, tourists flock to the village of Mtitto Andey.
Amboseli Park is located in the southeast of Kenya near the border with Tanzania. Relatively small in size - 400 sq. km.
From the territory of this reserve, the snow-white peak of Kilimanjaro and its picturesque surroundings are clearly visible. Amboseli is known for its large population of elephants - about 900 heads, it is even called the "land of elephants".
Hiking is allowed in Amboseli, provided that they are accompanied by an armed guide.
Etosha National Parks (video) and Kafue
A large (more than 22,000 sq. Km) nature reserve in Namibia, located near the northern edge of the Kalahari Desert, one of the largest national parks South Africa.
Part of the territory of Etosha Park is occupied by the salt plateau of the same name.
Etosha Park serves as a habitat for many species of living creatures - mammals and birds, among which quite rare ones, such as rhinos, can be found.
The fauna of the desert is extremely diverse. Especially when it comes to Namibia. Among the inhabitants of the Namib Desert are a variety of antelopes (springboks, oryxes, kudu, dig-digs and others), huge desert elephants, giraffes, zebras, leopards, lions, etc. Happy viewing!
Kafue- the largest natural reserve in Zambia. Named after one of the rivers flowing through its territory. The Kafue is the largest river in Zambia, with rapids, whirlpools and even small waterfalls along its course.
Another attraction of the park is the Itezhe-Tezhe dam, which blocks the Kafue River and was built to collect water from the reservoir and power the local power plant.
I want to note that almost all of the listed national parks are included in the UNESCO list of natural monuments - World Heritage Sites. Unfortunately, the situation around some large reserves in Africa (for example, Virunga or Kameya) is quite complicated due to conflicts and military actions periodically arising on their territory or in the vicinity, as well as due to harmful economic activity person. Perhaps it is already necessary to stop and stop making nature a hostage of human greed and irresponsibility? What do you think?
Africa is often associated with wild animals. This continent has the highest density of wildlife species and the richest diversity of fauna compared to any other continent on our planet. This is thanks to the huge landscapes with various climatic zones subarctic to tropical.
The African continent has the highest concentration of national parks on the planet. As of 2014, there are 335 national parks here. More than 1,100 species of mammals, 100,000 species of insects, 2,600 species of birds and 3,000 species of fish have found protection in them. In addition, there are hundreds of sanctuaries, forest, marine and national reserves, as well as nature parks.
The Black Continent is rich in diversity of habitats. Tropical rainforests and dry savannah plains in the Sahara Desert are home to the most different types wildlife. Africa is home to many fascinating animals, including endangered ones. It is also considered as the place of origin of human civilization.
Serengeti National Park
Zebra migration in the Serengeti National Park.
The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is one of the oldest and most famous nature reserves in Africa. The park is famous for the annual migration of millions of wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of gazelles and zebras, as well as predators that hunt them. This is one of the most impressive natural spectacles in the world. The Great Migration, which spans 1,000 kilometers of the annual circular trek, passes through unique scenic spots with vast treeless expanses and spectacular gently sloping meadows dotted with exposed rocks and interspersed with rivers and forests. This park hosts one of the world's largest and most diversified predator-prey interaction populations.
Serengeti National Park covers an area of 12,950 square kilometers and is considered one of the least disturbed natural ecosystems on Earth.
Masai Mara National Reserve
The Masai Mara is a national reserve located in the Narok district of Kenya. It borders the Serengeti National Park, and was named after the Masai people who inhabited these regions. It is famous for its exceptional population of lions, leopards, and cheetahs, as well as the annual migration of zebras, Thomson's gazelles, and wildebeest, which make their way to this place every year from July to October from the Serengeti. The event is known as the "great migration".
Masai Mara occupies a relatively small area, but here you can observe an amazing concentration of wildlife. The park is home to 95 species of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and over 400 bird species. big five(buffaloes, elephants, leopards, lions and rhinos) abound throughout the park. Leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, wildebeest, swamps, baboons, warthogs, buffaloes, zebras, elephants, hippos and crocodiles converge at the Mara River.
An aerial view of a wildebeest herd following several leading zebras in the Masai Mara.
bwindi national park
Bwindi National Park is located in southwestern Uganda in East Africa. It occupies 331 square kilometers of jungle and, as the name suggests, you can only get to this place on foot. Located on the eastern edge of the Albertine Rift Valley, the park has a rich ecosystem and may largest number tree species in East Africa. It also hosts a diverse fauna including a number of endemic butterflies and one of the richest concentrations of mammals in Africa.
Bwindi is home to almost half of the world's mountain gorilla population, which, unfortunately, has only 340 individuals.
Mountain gorilla in Bwindi National Park.
Amboseli National Park
Amboseli National Park is one of the most popular parks in Kenya. It is located in the south of the country, on the border with Tanzania. The park offers one of the most classic and breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro, with its 5,985-meter peak towering over the plains. Amboseli attracts visitors primarily because of its huge herds of elephants, although the park is also inhabited by many predators such as lions, cheetahs and leopards.
An elephant crosses a dirt road in Amboseli National Park. Mount Kilimanjaro is visible in the background. - nature reserves and national parks
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of largest reserves in Africa and one of the largest national parks in the world. Its area is 19,485 square kilometers. It is also the first national park in South Africa, which was opened in 1926, although the territory of the park has been protected by the state since 1898.
The Kruger National Park has more species large mammals than any other African reserve, including representatives of the "big five" - lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes.
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park is located in the northwestern part of Botswana, near the border of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. It is famous for its amazing population of elephants. Experts estimate that 50,000 of these large animals live here, perhaps this is the most high concentration elephants in Africa. Best time to visit Chobe falls during the dry season from April to October, when the reservoirs dry up and the animals gather near the river bank, where they are easy to spot.
Baby elephant on the banks of the Chobe River in the national park of the same name. - nature reserves and national parks
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park is located in northwestern Namibia and covers an area of 22,270 square kilometers. It takes its name from the silvery-white salt crystals that cover the large panoramas that cover almost a quarter of Etosha's territory. The park is home to hundreds of species of mammals, birds and reptiles, including several rare and endangered species such as black rhinos.
The Etosha salt marsh covers an area of 4,800 square kilometers and formed 16,000 years ago. - nature reserves and national parks
Central Kalahari National Game Reserve
The Kalahari Game Reserve covers an area of 52,800 km² in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana. He's about twice more territory Massachusetts, making it the second largest nature reserve in the world. Its territory is characterized by vast open plains, salt lakes and ancient riverbeds. The land is mostly flat and slightly undulating, covered with shrubs and grass, but also includes sand dunes and areas with large trees.
The park is home to such species of wild animals as the giraffe, brown hyena, warthog, cheetah, wild dog, leopard, lion, blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, kudu and red hartebeest.
The Bushmen have inhabited the Kalahari for thousands of years since the Stone Age. They still live here and move around the territory as nomadic hunters.
African national parks
Bushmen in the Kalahari. - African national parks
Nechysar National Park
The Nechisar National Park occupies only 514 sq. km., located on the excellent picturesque part of the Rift Valley between two lakes. The park in the east borders on the Amaro mountains, which rise up to 2000 m, and in the north - on Abaya Lake with eternally red waters (1070 sq. Km.). In the south - with a small transparent lake Chamo with an area of 350 km. To the east is the city of Arba Minch.
From a certain distance, the plains in the center seem white, from which the name Nechisar or "white grass" came.
National Park Nechisar consider important environment habitat for bird populations, especially migratory ones. Kingfishers, storks, pelicans, flamingos and fish eagles huddle in it.
Ngorongoro Game Reserve
Ngorongoro is located in northwestern Tanzania. In fact, these are the remains of the old Ngorongoro volcano, which collapsed and formed a crater. Its steep slopes have become a natural enclosure for a wide variety of wild animals that live here. On the plains beyond the crater, the Maasai people herd their cattle, seemingly oblivious to the herds of wild animals that fill the vast landscape. The area is also important in tracing human origins, as some of the earliest human remains and traces of human activity, dating back to 3.5 million years.
View from the Ngorongoro Crater. - African national parks
Lake inside the Ngorongoro Crater.
The Serengeti is a habitat for more than 1.5 million large mammals, mainly ungulates. About half a million Thompson and Grant antelopes, hundreds of thousands of wildebeests, gazelles and zebras, tens of thousands of buffaloes, thousands of elephants, lions and hyenas find shelter here. Hippopotamuses and crocodiles live in rivers and lakes, and obese dark gray rhinos roam along their banks.
There are over 200 species of birds in the park, among which the most impressive are ostriches, secretary birds, and, of course, thousands of flocks of bright pink flamingos. The park was formed in 1951, when many of the now so numerous animals were threatened with total extermination as a result of the hunting of large African game that came into vogue.
At the center of the Ngorongoro Protected Area, you can see the grandiose crater of an extinct volcano. The giant bowl (15-20 km in diameter and up to 600 m deep) was formed about 7 million years ago when the walls of the conical volcano collapsed. At the bottom of the bowl, once covered with boiling lava, a unique closed biocenosis has been created, in which natural balance is maintained, despite the huge variety of its constituent species. Cheetahs and leopards, baboons and black-faced monkeys, crowned cranes and kites live here. In addition, unique finds were made in the park - in the Olduvai Gorge to the west of the crater, the remains of the most ancient Zinjanthrope man were discovered.
Another interesting nature reserve, located in Tanzania, is formed by the Kilimanjaro mountain range, consisting of three merged extinct volcanoes. Its unique natural landscapes with a gloomy world of solidified lava, snow and ice make an indelible impression in the midst of the colorful tropics of equatorial Africa.
Unlike the savannah of Tanzania, about half of the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is covered by tropical forests, which are classic impenetrable jungles from a mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees intertwined with lianas. Two of the Congo's many national parks are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The first of them - Virunga Park, formed in 1925, is located in the east of the country. Of particular interest are the unusual natural landscapes of the park. Numerous hot springs are located here. extinct volcanoes. Mountain ranges cut through swift rivers, frozen dead lava flows coexist with lush vegetation along the shores of lakes. The flora of the park is no less diverse - high-mountain alpine meadows are replaced by thickets of tree-like heather, tropical jungle are replacing bamboo forests.
The flat part of the park has the highest density of ungulates in the world. However, the main object of protection of the reserve are the colonies of a very small mountain gorilla.
An even rarer (one of the rarest in Africa) animal lives in the Garamba National Park, located in the northeast of the Congo. This is a white rhinoceros, in fact, the park was created specifically for its protection. Poachers hunted this animal because of its horn, which allegedly has unique medicinal properties and therefore highly valued.
Huge damage to the white rhinoceros population was also caused as a result of hostilities in the country - in 1980 there were only 12 individuals left. To date, their number has slightly increased, however, as before, seeing a white rhino is considered a great success. The park also has a special elephant station, one of the few of its kind in the world, where animals are trained to work in logging.
Kenya is no less rich in flora and habitat conditions, climatic conditions and topography, which made it one of the most unique places on Earth in terms of animal diversity. Numerous parks and reserves occupy up to 15% of the country's territory. And it is here, to the reservoirs of the Mara and Grumeti rivers, which flow into Lake Victoria, that most animals migrate from the Serengeti with the onset of the dry season in May-June.
This process is a fantastic sight - huge herds, accompanied by predators, stretch to the horizon, sometimes more than 10 km. November when it starts rainy season, the process is repeated in reverse side- animals following the front of rains migrate to the south and southeast.
The fauna of Zaire is also exceptionally diverse: equatorial forests inhabited by lemurs and monkeys, small antelopes, okapi, luxurious peacocks flaunt here, and the air is full of colorful parrots.
Tall-grass savannahs dominate in the south and far north of the country, where majestic giraffes roam. Perhaps it is this spotted animal that can rightfully be called a symbol of Africa - without it it would be difficult to imagine a classic African landscape.
Extraordinarily Long neck allows the giraffe to get food from a height of up to 5-6 meters, but in order to get drunk, he has to take a rather clumsy pose - spread his front legs wide, which, by the way, are much longer than the hind ones. Usually, the animal performs this procedure slowly and in several stages - sometimes it seems that the giraffe is carefully trying to “sit on the twine”.
However, almost any animal in Africa can be called unusual and outlandish. This is the elephant - one of the smartest animals on the planet, which, with its unique trunk, formed as a result of the fusion of the nose and upper lip, can pick up from the ground and a small coin, and a huge log, can cheerfully wave it in greeting, or can use it as a formidable weapon.
And striped "horses" - zebras - with a completely unusual, contrasting coloring (by the way, in the opinion of a European, this is a light animal decorated with black stripes, but Africans think differently - they consider zebras to be dark, painted in white). And huge, up to three tons in weight, hippos, which, despite their size, move in the water with surprising ease and grace. And very quickly - no human swimmer can catch up with them. And, of course, ostriches - perhaps another symbol of Africa, only this time feathered - a creature that does not fly, but runs, which uses its wings only when turning.
hippos
When it comes to Africa, the first thing that comes to mind is wild animals. Africa is home to many populations of wild animals and is great variety fauna than any other continent on our planet, thanks to its endless landscapes with different climatic conditions ranging from subarctic to tropical. In Africa there is whole line habitats ranging from wet rainforest to the savannah plains and the arid Sahara desert, which provides habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Africa, widely regarded as the place where human life originated, is home to many of the world's amazing animals, as well as those that are endangered.
The African continent has the highest concentration of national parks. There are more of them in Africa than anywhere else in the world. As of 2014, there are 335 national parks that protect over 1,100 mammal species, 100,000 insect species, 2,600 bird species and 3,000 fish species. In addition, there are hundreds of game reserves, forest reserves, marine reserves, national reserves and natural parks in Africa.
Serengeti National Park
Zebra migration in the Serengeti National Park.
The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is one of the oldest and most famous wildlife sanctuaries in Africa. The park is famous for the annual migration of millions of wildebeest plus hundreds of thousands of gazelles and zebras followed by raptors, one of the most impressive natural spectacles in the world. The Great Migration, which is an annual 1,000-kilometer circular trek, takes place in a unique scenic area, in vast treeless expanses of impressively flat grassy pastures dotted with rock outcroppings interspersed with rivers and forests. The park also hosts some of the most impressive and diverse biological relationships large predators and their victims in the world.
Serengeti National Park is located on an area of 12,950 square kilometers and is considered one of the least affected natural ecosystems in the world. 
Masai Mara National Reserve
The Masai Mara National Reserve is located in Narok County, Kenya and is the northern extension of the Serengeti National Park. It is named after the Maasai people who live in the region. The reserve is known for its exceptional population of lions, leopards, and cheetahs, as well as the annual migration of zebras, Thomson's gazelles, and wildebeests into and out of the Serengeti that occurs each year from July to October, and is known as the Great Migration.
The Masai Mara National Wildlife Refuge is relatively small, yet it is home to an astounding concentration of wildlife. The park is home to about 95 species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles and more than 400 species of birds. The Big Five (buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, and rhinoceros) can be found throughout the park, as can leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, antelopes, wildebeest, swamps, baboons, warthogs, zebras, hippos, and crocodiles in the Mara River ( Mara River). 
An aerial view of a herd of wildebeest following several leading zebras in the Masai Mara. 
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in southwestern Uganda in East Africa. The park covers 331 square kilometers of jungle forest and, as the name suggests, can only be reached on foot. The park is located on the eastern edge of the Albertine Rift Valley, and has a rich ecosystem, possibly the most large quantity tree species for its height throughout East Africa. Diverse fauna can also be seen here, including a number of endemic butterflies and one of the richest concentrations of mammals in Africa. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is home to almost half of the world's mountain gorilla population, of which, unfortunately, only 340 individuals remain. 
Mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Amboseli National Park
Amboseli National Park is one of the most popular parks in Kenya. It is located in the southern part of the country on the border with Tanzania and offers one of the most classic and breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro with its 5985-meter peak rising above the plains. Amboseli National Park attracts visitors mainly for its huge herds of elephants, but the park is also a habitat for many predators such as the lion, cheetah and leopard. 
An elephant crosses a dirt road in Amboseli National Park. Mount Kilimanjaro is visible in the background.
Kruger National Park
The Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa and one of the most extensive national parks in the world, covering an area of 19,485 square kilometers. It is also the first national park in South Africa, which was opened in 1926, although the area of the park has been protected by the state since 1898. The Kruger National Park is home to more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve, including the "Big Five" - lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffaloes. 
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park is located in the northwestern part of Botswana close to the borders with Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia and is famous for its amazing population of elephants. It is estimated to be home to around 50,000 elephants, perhaps the highest concentration of elephants in Africa and part of the largest continuously surviving population of elephants. The best time to visit Chobe is during the dry season from April to October, when the plains dry up and animals congregate near the banks of the river, making them easier to spot. 
Baby elephant in the Serondela zone, on the banks of the Chobe River, in the Chobe National Park.
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park is located in northwestern Namibia. It covers an area of 22,270 square kilometers and takes its name from the large, silvery, white Etosha Salt Plateau, which covers almost a quarter of the Etosha National Park. The park is home to hundreds of species of mammals, birds and reptiles, including several rare and endangered species such as black rhinos. 
The Etosha Salt Plateau covers an area of 4,800 square kilometers and was formed 16,000 years ago.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
The Central Kalahari National Game Reserve, located in Botswana's Kalahari Desert, covers an area of 52,800 square kilometers, about twice the size of Massachusetts, making it the second largest game reserve in the world. This hunting reserve is characterized by vast open plains, salt flats and ancient riverbeds. The territory of the reserve is mostly flat, with small hills covered with shrubs and grass, which also grow on sand dunes, and in areas with big trees. The reserve is home to such wild animals as giraffes, brown hyena, warthog, cheetah, wild dogs, leopard, lion, blue wildebeest, eland, oryx, markhorn antelope and red hartebeest.
The Bushmen have inhabited the Kalahari for thousands of years and their people date back to the Stone Age period. These Bushmen still live here, and roam the territories as nomadic hunters. 
Bushmen of the Kalahari.
Nechisar National Park
Nechisar National Park is small park, located on an area of 514 square kilometers, in an excellent picturesque part of the rift valley between two lakes. To the east, the park is bordered by the Amaro foothills, which rise to about 2,000 meters, to the north of it are the ever red waters of Lake Abaya, which covers an area of 1,070 square kilometers. To the south is Lake Chamo, a small lake with clear waters, covering an area of 350 kilometers. To the east is the city of Arba Minch, which is the main city of the Northern Omo zone. The central plains located between the lake and the foothills of Amaro (Amaro) from afar appear white, which was the source of the name Nechisar or "white grass".
The Nechisar National Park is considered an important habitat for bird populations, especially those that are migratory. There are significant populations of kingfishers, storks, pelicans, flamingos and screaming eagles. 
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Game Reserve is located in northwestern Tanzania. At its very center is the impressive Ngorongoro Crater, an old volcano that collapsed to form the crater. The steep slopes of the crater have become a natural reserve for a wide variety of wild animals that live here. Beyond the edge of the crater, the Maasai people graze their cattle on the plains, seemingly oblivious to the herds of wild animals that share this vast landscape with them. This area also has great importance in tracing human origins, as some of the earliest human remains have been found here, including human footprints dating back 3.5 million years. 
View of Ngorongoro from inside the crater. 
Lake inside the Ngorongoro Crater.
Continent Africa - 54 countries. On the continent (as of 2014) there are 335 protected areas - reserves, reserves, natural parks.
All of them, in addition to marine reserves, are included in the list of reserves and national parks in Africa. You can see this list as a whole and for each country separately. This list does not include private parks and private natural areas African continent.
TOP 10: the most famous oldest reserves and national parks in Africa
- Garamba, Uganda
Area: 4,900 km 2 National Park and 7,527 km 2 Domaines de Chas - African Parks Project 2005. Managed by the African Parks Organization DRC in partnership with the Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) - Akajera, Rwanda
Area: 1122 km 2 - in Africa, the 2010 Parks project. Akagera is operated by a joint venture between African Parks and the Rwanda Development Board. - Bangweulu, Zambia
Area: 6,000 km2 - Africa 2008 Parks project
Bangweulu Wetlands is managed through a partnership between African Parks, the Wildlife Institute Authority (Zawa) and the six Chiefdoms of Zambia where these park areas are located. - Luwa National Park Zambia
Area: 3660 km 2 - project "Parks" 2003
Liuwa African Park is governed by the African Parks and Borotse Royal partnership - traditionally owned by the Lozi people. - Majet, Malawi Nature Reserve
Area: 700 km2 - Africa Parks Project 2003
Operated by Malawi National Parks Department and Wildlife Society (DNPW) - Odzala-Kokua, Congo
Area: 13,500 km2 - African Park Project 2010
The Odzala-Kokoua National Park is managed by the African Parks Foundation and the Congolese government. - Serengeti, Tanzania
Endless Plains - 14750 km 2 East Mara of northwestern Tanzania - borders on the north with the Kenyan border, continuous with national reserve Masai. The Serengeti lies to the southeast of Ngorongoro Park, to the west the Ikorongo and Grumeti Game Reserves - together, these areas form a large single ecosystem. - Zakuma, Chad
Area: 3054 km 2 - in Africa the Parks project since 2010
Zakuma is carried out in partnership between African Parks and the Government of Chad - Bwindi, Uganda
impenetrable forest - Kruger National Park, South Africa.
One of the most famous parks on the African continent is a nature reserve and a national park at the same time.
Welcome to the world of nature reserves and national parks in Africa!
1. Garamba in Africa is one of the last true corners of the wild. An impressive savannah with a vast section of forest, with exceptionally high biodiversity. The open hilly grasslands are the stage for spectacular encounters with large herds of elephants, buffaloes, the Ugandan Kob antelope (the symbol of the country), and the less common species of giraffe and horse antelope.
2. Akagera
Akagera National Park is located in the northeast of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania. It is named after the Akagera River, which flows along the eastern border and feeds a labyrinth of lakes, of which Lake Ihema is the largest. Acacia groves, wetland brachystegia, combined with scattered meadows and fringed lakes along the meandering Akagera, united by watercourses, create a park of breathtaking beauty.
3. Bangweulu
In the upper reaches of the Congo Basin in northeastern Zambia, one of the most large systems wetlands of Africa - Bangweulu. Bangweulu is a local word meaning "where the water meets the sky" - seasonally flooded areas of untouched wilderness. The broad system of Bangweulu includes lakes, floodplains, swamps, termitaria forests, vast areas of virgin miombo, pastures. The Chambeshi and Luapula rivers are the main southern tributaries of the Congo River in this area. Bangweulu is home to a significant number of endemic plants and animals. For example, black lychee. The current estimate is over 75,000 animals. This is home to the Shoebill bird, one of Africa's enigmatic ornithological assets.
4. Liuva
Liuwa Plain is located on the upper floodplains of the Zambezi River in western Zambia and is bounded by the Luambimba and Luanginga rivers. Liuva is a seasonally flooded grassy plain dotted with forest islands. Since 1972, Liuwa has had the status of a national park - the oldest preserved park in the history of Africa. Originally proclaimed king of Barotseland in the early 1880s, historically used as a royal hunting ground and protected by the Lozi people. Liuwa is home to the second largest wildebeest in Africa and is home to a thousand remarkable animals. Herds of zebras, tsessebe lyrohorned harlequins graze, on the plains they are pursued by predators - wild dogs, hyenas, cheetahs, lions. Liuwa supports bird populations globally with over 330 species.
5. Rubs
The Majete Reserve - the Majete Reserve was proclaimed in 1955, is located in the Lower Shire Valley, in the Great Rift Valley of Africa, with an area of 700 km². The vegetation is varied, ranging from moist forests miombo, in the western hills, and ending with the dried savannah in the east with prominent thickets along the rivers. Malawi launches wildlife reintroduction program
6. Odzala
Second largest in the world a tropical forest, second only to Amazon (Amazonian forests), Odzala-Kokoua - extensive protected forests. They are located in the northwestern part of the Republic of the Congo. This is 13,546 km2 of untouched wilderness - an incredible biodiversity of an extraordinary complex ecosystem.
7. Serengeti
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania - famous for the annual migration of zebras, wildebeests, gazelles and predators - is considered one of the most undisturbed ecological zones in the world. The neighboring Masai Mara Reserve is located in one of the districts of Kenya. In general, the reserve is a continuation of the Sarengeti National Park. It is famous for the lions that live here in large numbers.
8. Zakuma
Zakouma is located in Salamat in southeastern Chad, west of the town of Am Timan, about 800 km by road southeast of N'Djamena. It is described as one of the last strongholds of wilderness for Central Africa and is considered a major success in wildlife conservation.
9. Bwindi
Bwindi National Park is located in the jungle - you can only travel on foot. This park is located in the Albertine Valley - here the largest number variety of trees in Africa. Bwindi Park is home to exotic, stunningly beautiful butterflies.
10. Kruger Park
The oldest national park in South Africa, National Park Kruger - the flagship park of South Africa - huge numbers wild animals for the size of a small country. The Kruger National Park has the largest number of mammals. The park is divided into 17 ecological zones, where larger animals live than in any other biome in the world - elephant, white rhino, buffalo. During the rainy season, a great population of birds. big cats: leopard, cheetah, lion - the subject of interest of the tourist Safari.
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