- The northern Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem in Tanzania is among the richest areas in the world for large mammal diversity and abundance, and Manyara Ranch provides crucial wildlife habitat for migratory and resident species between the Tarangire River and Lake Natron.
- This area is essential to the survival of migratory wildlife populations in the area, and sustains the ecological viability of both Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks, two of the highest income earning parks in Tanzania.
- We conducted ungulate surveys in Manyara Ranch in 2012 and early 2013 to determine seasonal spatial distribution, density, and abundance of wild ungulate species and livestock.
- Surveys used distance sampling methods on fixed-route road transects, and were conducted near the end of each precipitation season (vuli = short rains, masika = long rains, and kiangazi = dry).
- Most species had some seasonal variation in density and distribution.
- Species in rank order of average annual abundance were: cattle (11,271), zebra (2,393), sheep and goats (2,154), impala (1,103), wildebeest (881), dik-dik (404), Grant’s gazelle (292), giraffe (242), Thomson’s gazelle (166), eland (80), lesser kudu (30), elephant (14), steenbok (11), waterbuck (11), horse (4), gerenuk (1).
- Cattle densities increased 11 fold between the wet and dry seasons 2012 (1,566 to 17,131), most likely due to encroachment of local village herds.
- Any stakeholder with interest in these data or the ongoing surveys should contact the authors of this report at [email protected] or +255 686 037 481.
