When I
first looked down into the Ngorongoro Crater from the rim, I
thought, "How could it possibly support the abundance of
wildlife the guidebooks talk about? It looks so barren."
But once in the crater, I realized that it contains several ecosystems
and a multitude of animals.
The crater,
a caldera (collapsed volcano), is about 10 miles in diameter and 2,000
feet deep. There are lakes, swamps, forests and plains where elephants,
hippos, lions, wildebeest, cape buffalo, 17 (at last count) of the world's
remaining black rhinos, and abundant birdlife live.
We disturbed this
lion, who lazily got up, strolled to the other side of this safari vehicle,
and plopped down in the shade on the other side.
We stayed at
the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, dramatically situated on the rim of the
crater. Every room has an equally spectacular view, and telescopes on
the deck allow a closer view of the wildlife below.
We disturbed this
lion, who lazily got up, strolled to the other side of this safari vehicle,
and plopped down in the shade on the other side.
When I
first looked down into the Ngorongoro Crater from the rim, I
thought, "How could it possibly support the abundance of
wildlife the guidebooks talk about? It looks so barren."
But once in the crater, I realized that it contains several ecosystems
and a multitude of animals.
The crater,
a caldera (collapsed volcano), is about 10 miles in diameter and 2,000
feet deep. There are lakes, swamps, forests and plains where elephants,
hippos, lions, wildebeest, cape buffalo, 17 (at last count) of the world's
remaining black rhinos, and abundant birdlife live.
We stayed at
the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, dramatically situated on the rim of the
crater. Every room has an equally spectacular view, and telescopes on
the deck allow a closer view of the wildlife below.