Saadani is where the beach meets the bush. The only wildlife sanctuary in East Africa to boast an Indian Ocean beachfront, it also possesses all the attributes that make Tanzania’s tropical coastline and islands very popular with European sun-worshipers. Yet it is also the one place where those idle hours of sunbathing might be interrupted by an elephant strolling past, or a lion coming to drink at the nearby waterhole.
Protected as a game reserve since the 1960s, in 2002 it was expanded to cover twice its former area. The reserve suffered greatly from poaching before the late 1990s, but in recent years a marked turnaround has been seen, due to a concerted clampdown on poachers, based on integrating adjacent villages into the conservation drive.
Wildlife in Saadani National Park
Wildlife in Saadani National Park includes four of the Big Five. However, it is very hard to spot them because the numbers are low and the animals are usually hiding. Because this park is located next to the local villages and animals try to avoid interaction with local people. As they see them as their enemies.
You can also find a population of Masai giraffes. And you find Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, common waterbucks and bohor reedbucks, blue wildebeests, common and red duikers, Dik-Diks. Others are yellow baboons, vervet and blue sykes monkeys as well as Colobus and White-bearded emperor tamarin monkeys, mongooses, genets and porcupines. Also, greater kudus, elands, sable antelopes, warthogs, hippos, crocodiles and Nile monitors live in Saadani National Park. African bush elephants, lions and leopards are a bit more shy here. But with a bit of luck, you might spot them too! You can see herds of up to 30 elephants with increased frequency. And several lion prides are inhabitants, together with leopards, spotted hyenas and black-backed jackals.
Since 2005, the protected area has been considered a Lion Conservation Unit. The Wami River is home to the beautiful mangrove kingfisher and lesser flamingo. The beaches form one of the last major green turtle breeding sites on mainland Tanzania
Today, a surprisingly wide range of grazers and primates are seen on game drives and walks, These include giraffes, buffaloes, warthogs, common waterbucks, reedbucks, hartebeests, wildebeests, red duikers, greater kudus, elands, sable antelopes, yellow baboons, and velvet monkeys.
