Pros & Cons
- Stunning scenery with views of Mt Kilimanjaro
- Off the beaten track, away from the crowds
- Big Five destination
- A chance to contribute directly to rhino conservation
- Important bird area with several northern dry-country endemic species
- Wildlife is thinly populated
- Limited game-drive circuit
Wildlife in Mkomazi National Park
Mkomazi shares its northern border with Kenya’s vast Tsavo West National Park and migratory herds of elephants travel between these parks in the Wet season, depending on the rainfall patterns. Dindira Dam is a good place to see a variety of thirsty animals. Coke’s hartebeest, eland, giraffe and zebra all come and go throughout the day, but if you get here in the early morning or late afternoon you might find some opportunistic lions staking out the area too. Mkomazi National Park’s dramatic landscape is the perfect backdrop for incredible photo opportunities of Masai giraffes. These magnificent animals are plentiful and relaxed here. Also regularly seen are plains zebra, Coke’s hartebeest, Grant’s gazelle and the tiny Kirk’s dik-dik. Big herds of eland are common too, but they are shy and you’ll mostly see them kicking up dust as they disappear in the distance.
The Kisima Rhino Breeding Sanctuary, set in the heart of Mkomazi, is one of Tanzania’s great conservation success stories. A guided 4×4 excursion into the offshoot Mkomazi Black Rhino Tourist Sanctuary, which opened in 2021, is highly recommended. It is educational and offers one of the best opportunities in Africa to get close to black rhinos in a natural environment. Localized dry-country antelope such as fringe-eared oryx, lesser kudu and gerenuk are more likely to be seen in the rhino sanctuary than elsewhere in the park.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
The Dry season (June to October) is the best time for general wildlife viewing in the park. However, Mkomazi isn’t a prime wildlife-viewing destination and the scenery and views of the mountains are at their best in the Wet season (November to May). This is also the best time to see elephants migrating into the park from Kenya’s Tsavo West National Park.
