| Kijereshi Game Reserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) | |
| Location | Simiyu Region of Tanzania |
| Nearest city | Lukungu, Mwabayanda, Mwakiroba, Kijilishi, Nyamikoma, Senta |
| Coordinates | 2°1′4″N0°33′3″E / 2.01778°N 0.55083°E |
| Area | 66 kilometres (41 mi) |
| Governing body | Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority |
Kijereshi Game Reserve is a protected area located in Simiyu Region of Tanzania.
Kijereshi Game Reserve is part of Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem which forms an integral part of the Western Corridor for the Great wildebeest migration. The reserve is at the western end of the wildebeest migration transit route, becoming a part of the "wet season transition phase". The reserve stands as a last turning point of wildebeest migration in the Tanzania side where migrant’s with their calves passes between May and July yearly depending on the rains.
The Kijereshi Game Reserve covers nearly 66 square kilometres [1] of lush and open plains. The reserve was gazetted on 10 June 1994 following the Tanzania Government Notice (G.N) No. 215. Protection of the area dates back 1964 when it was Maswa Game Controlled Area and later upgraded to game reserve [1] due to its ecological and social – economical values. Additionally, the reserve is categorised as Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources (Category VI) under IUCN categories of protected areas. [2]
The name of Kijereshi came from the village bordering the reserve known as Kijilishi, a Sukuma tribe word with no specific meaning. From "Kijilishi" to "Kijereshi" it was just a mistake in pronunciation where the name was first used by the Asian investor who named his tented camp as “Kijereshi Tented Camp”. Following the gazettement of the area as a Game Reserve in 1994, [1] the officials from Wildlife Division (WD) of Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism adopted Kijereshi as the official name of the reserve. Therefore the reserve was named Kijereshi Game Reserve.
Kijereshi Game Reserve is located at south-west of Serengeti National Park [3] lying between Latitude 2o1” and 4o0” South of Equator and Longitude 33o3” and 35o1” East of Greenwich. Furthermore, the reserve falls within Busega (partitioned from previous Magu district) and Bariadi districts of Simiyu region in Tanzania mainland. In the western part Kijereshi Game Reserve is bordering with Lukungu village while Lake Victoria is at 2.5 km from the same side. Mwabayanda, Mwakiroba, Kijilishi, Nyamikoma and Senta villages are all bordering Kijereshi Game Reserve at southern side.
After its gazzetement in 1994 from the former Maswa Game Controlled Area [1] Kijereshi Game Reserve was managed by Wildlife Division of Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. Following the establishment of Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) in 9 May 2014 and its amendment via Tanzania Government Notice (G.N) No. 20 of 23 January 2015 as a new authority responsible for managing Game Reserves (GRs), Game Controlled Areas (GCAs) and Open Areas, thus Kijereshi Game Reserve (KGR) is currently under TAWA Management.
Kijereshi Game Reserve is rich in wildlife including mammals, [4] birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Mammals found in the reserve include wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, topi, elephant, waterbuck, Thomson's gazelle, bushbuck, impala, black backed jackal, spotted hyena just to mention few. Common birds include ostrich, ground hornbill, lovebirds, water birds and many more. Agama lizards and monitor lizards are some of the reptiles found in Kijereshi Game Reserve. Amphibians and invertebrates are plenty.
The reserve is dominated by open grassland vegetation, [5] however the Geographic Information System Unit from TAWA has categorised the reserve into three categories of vegetation namely riverine forest, open grassland and wooded grassland.
Kijereshi Game Reserve experiences moderate temperatures ranging from an average of 18 °C to 31 °C annually. The rainfall season normally starts in October and ends in May. The annual rainfall ranges from 750 mm to 850 mm [5] and is concentrated in two peaks periods. In the first one, from October to December, rains are shorter; the second is from February to mid-May and has longer and heavier rains.
The soil of Kijereshi Game Reserve is mainly black cotton soil composed of black clay, a common type of soil found in the western corridor of Serengeti Ecosystem. However there are areas dominated by sandy loam soil. [5]
Game drive is the main tourist activity in Kijereshi Game Reserve however biking can also be arranged. Other activities include guided nature walk, camping, night game drive, bird watching and commercial photography/filming.
The reserve can be accessed throughout the year. However, June to September is the best time for mammals following migration and October to February is ideal time for bird watching.
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning the Mara and Arusha Regions of Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serengeti hosts the second largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.
Wildebeest, also called gnu, are antelopes of the genus Connochaetes and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes true antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, and other even-toed horned ungulates. There are two species of wildebeest: the black wildebeest or white-tailed gnu, and the blue wildebeest or brindled gnu.
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over 14,763 km2 (5,700 sq mi). It is located in eastern Mara Region and northeastern Simiyu Region and contains over 1,500,000 hectares of virgin savanna. The park was established in 1940.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, 180 km (110 mi) west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northern Tanzania. The area is named after Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority administers the conservation area, an arm of the Tanzanian government, and its boundaries follow the boundary of the Ngorongoro District in Arusha Region. The western portion of the park abuts the Serengeti National Park, and the area comprising the two parks and Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve is home to Great Migration, a massive annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and other animals. The conservation area also contains Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world.
Mwanza City, also known as Rock City to the residents, is a port city and capital of Mwanza Region on the southern shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania. With an urban population of 1,311,000 in 2023, it is Tanzania's second largest city, after Dar es Salaam. It is also the second largest city in the Lake Victoria basin after Kampala, Uganda and ahead of Kisumu, Kenya at least in population size. Within the East African community, Mwanza city is the fifth largest city after Dar, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kampala. It is slightly ahead of Kigali, Kisumu, and Bujumbura in the population of city proper limits. However, in terms of infrastructure, Kigali and Kisumu cities are way ahead of Mwanza. Mwanza city is also the capital city of Mwanza Region, and is administratively divided into two municipal districts within that Region - Ilemela and Nyamagana.
Mara Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers an area of 21,760 km2 (8,400 sq mi). The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of El Salvador. The neighboring regions are Mwanza Region and Simiyu Region, Arusha Region, and Kagera Region. The Mara Region borders Kenya .The regional capital is the municipality of Musoma. Mara Region is known for being the home of Serengeti National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and also the birth place of Tanzania's founding father Julius Nyerere. Under British colonial occupation, the Mara Region was a district called the Lake Province, which became the Lake Region after independence in 1961.
Bunda is one of the seven districts of Mara Region in the United Republic of Tanzania, East Africa. It is bordered to the north by the Musoma Rural District and Butiama District, to the east by Serengeti District, to the south by Bariadi District and Busega District, and to the west by Lake Victoria. The district administration town is also called Bunda, located on the north-south trans-national all tarmac highway from Kenya to Zambia via Tarime and the lakeside municipalities of Musoma, Mwanza, and thereon to Mbeya in southern Tanzania. The district has four divisions: Kenkombyo, Nansimo, Serengeti and Chamuriho.
The blue wildebeest, also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Tanzania:
Mikumi National Park is a national park near Morogoro, Tanzania with an area of 3,230 km2 (1,250 sq mi) that was established in 1964. It is the fourth largest in the country. The park is crossed by Tanzania's A-7 highway.
The Grumeti Game Reserve is found in Tanzania. It was established in 1993. This site is 411 km2.
Tanzania contains some 20 percent of the species of Africa's large mammal population, found across its reserves, conservation areas, marine parks, and 17 national parks, spread over an area of more than 42,000 square kilometres (16,000 sq mi) and forming approximately 38 percent of the country's territory. Wildlife resources of Tanzania are described as "without parallel in Africa" and "the prime game viewing country". Serengeti National Park, the country's second largest national park area at 14,763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi), is located in northern Tanzania and is famous for its extensive migratory herds of wildebeests and zebra while also having the reputation as one of the great natural wonders of the world. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, established in 1959, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and inhabited by the Maasai people. Its Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact caldera in the world.
Bariadi is a Tanzanian town and regional capital of Simiyu Region, and the is also administrative seat of Bariadi District. Bariadi also refers to Bariadi Ward, another administrative unit in the district.
Simiyu Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers a land area of 25,212 km2 (9,734 sq mi). The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of North Macedonia. The region is bordered to the north by the Mara Region, to the south by the Shinyanga Region and Singida Region. Mwanza Region borders the region to the west through Lake Victoria, and Arusha Region to the east. The region is home to the Serengeti National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, shared with Mara Region. The regional capital is the town of Bariadi. According to the 2012 national census, the region had a population of 1,534,808.
Busega District is one of the five districts of Simiyu Region of Tanzania, East Africa. Its administrative centre is the town of Nyashimo. It is bordered to the north by Lake Victoria and Bunda District, to the east by Bariadi District, and to the south by Magu District.
Itilima District is one of the five districts of Simiyu Region of Tanzania, East Africa. Its district capital is Lagangabilili. It is bordered to the north by Bariadi District, to the east by Ngorongoro District, to the south by Maswa District and Meatu District, and to the west by Magu District.
Lamadi is a town and a ward in Busega District of Simiyu Region, Tanzania. It is located on the shore of Lake Victoria. On 'dala dala' mini-busses in the area, the town's name is sometimes misspelled as 'Ramadi' the town have street (mitaa) that are Itongo, Makanisani, Majengo, Msekula Road, Mwalukonge and three village that are Lukungu, Mwabayanda and Kalago The main tribes in Lamadi Town are Sukuma, Jita,Kurya,Zanaki,Luo and Waha from Kigoma. The people like to visit Lamadi Town because is fevered by many attraction.
The TarangireEcosystem is a geographical region in northern Tanzania, Africa. It extends between 2.5 and 5.5 degrees south latitudes and between 35.5 and 37 degrees east longitudes.
The Southern Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets is a tropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in Tanzania and Kenya. It includes portions of Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which are designated World Heritage Sites and biosphere reserves for their outstanding wildlife and landscapes. It is one of three Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets ecoregions in eastern Africa.
2°13′49″S33°56′31″E / 2.2303477654133457°S 33.9419174194336°E