Udzungwa Mountains National Park, National park in eastern Tanzania
Udzungwa Mountains National Park covers 1,990 km² in the Kilolo and Kilombero districts of Tanzania, ranging from 250 m in the Kilombero valley to the 2,576 m peak of Lohomero. Its eastern sector holds tropical rainforest with trees up to 50 m tall, while the centre and south are grassland and miombo woodland and the west is steppe. Four waterfalls drop down a dark, blocky rock cliff, and the water ends in foam on wet rock at its base.
The park was opened in October 1992 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. Its name means "Land of the Dzungwa", a subgroup of the Hehe who once settled the western slopes of the Udzungwa Mountains after being driven from the Iringa area in conflicts over leaders Munyigumba and Mkwawa.
The park shelters primate species found nowhere else on Earth, and visitors walking the trails may encounter them moving through the canopy. These rare animals shape how people view the importance of protecting this land.
Visitors should bring sturdy footwear and water, as trails vary in difficulty and pass through wet forest areas. The dry season offers the easiest conditions for walking and exploring.
The Sanje crested mangabey went unrecorded by biologists until 1979, and the Udzungwa red colobus is likewise found only in these mountains. A new endemic chameleon species was discovered in the park in 2009.
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