Kitulo National Park, National park in southern highlands, Tanzania
Kitulo National Park is a 412.9-square-kilometre protected area of montane grassland and forest on the Kitulo Plateau, at 2,600 metres between the Kipengere and Poroto mountains in Tanzania's Mbeya and Njombe regions. Its rolling, grass-covered hills are cut by a faint winding path on the lower slope, and the Livingstone Forest descends the southwest-facing slope.
Tanzania established this place as its fourteenth national park in 2005 to protect the highland region from international orchid poaching, hunting, and logging. The creation was a key step to shield this special landscape from exploitation.
Local communities call this place Bustani ya Mungu, meaning Garden of God, because wildflowers blanket the slopes during the rainy season. This name reflects how deeply people connect with the natural beauty of these highlands.
The park is reached by road from Chimala, 78 km east of Mbeya; routes also arrive from Zambia via Tunduma or from Malawi via Karonga. The TAZARA railway passes close to the park. The grasslands flower during the November to April wet season.
Three plant species are found nowhere else on Earth: Brachystelma kituloensis, Impatiens rosulata, and Pterygodium ukingense. These rare species make this place a center for conservation and research.
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