Tarangire National Park is a national park in Tanzania’s Manyara Region. The name of the park originates from the Tarangire River that crosses the park. The Tarangire River is the primary source of fresh water for wild animals in the Tarangire Ecosystem during the annual dry season.

Tarangire’s claim to fame is its large elephant population – the largest in Tanzania. During the dry season, herds of up to 300 elephants can be seen digging in the apparently dry riverbed of the Tarangire River looking for underground streams.

Huge herds of elephants

It is the 6th largest National Park in Tanzania and offers some unrivalled elephant sightings – indeed, it is estimated that the Park is home to the largest elephant population in northern Tanzania – approximately 2,500 – and these numbers are rapidly increasing by an estimated 6% per year.