"Serengeti of the North" and the Little Serengeti down south: June'14

Introduction:

For years, I had dreamed about a visit to Africa. Finally, in June'14, I lived my dream. The themes for my adventures at East Africa involved eight main events:

1) Visit to Parakuiyo, a Maasai village west of Morogoro (June 5'14);
2) International meeting of Indigenous People of Africa at Morogoro and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania (June 2-7);
3) Visits to the rock paintings up to 30,000 years old at Kolo in the Rock Art District of Kondoa, north-central Tanzania;
4) Seeing the incredible diversity of wildlife during Safaris at the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a breakdown of our Land Cruiser near the Olduvai Gorge;
5) Observing the Great Migration of zebra and wildebeest;
6) Losing out on a two-day trip to the white sands and aqua marine sea at Zanzibar: I struggled for two days to regain control of my hi-jacked Apple Mail system at a remote place in Tanzania;
7) Traveling 2,000 km through Tanzania on the public bus system, and;
8) Being under the daily care of Maasai during my entire visit.

My awesome visit along the Northern Safari Circuit at Tanzania was drawing to a close. The northern part of Tarangire National Park was to be the last stop during my big adventure.

This post will just focus on my safari through the northern part of the park. The Tarangire safari evoked memories about my visits to the "Serengeti of the North" at Ice Mountain, Mount Edziza. It is the largest volcanic complex in Canada. I will share with you a few reflections about cumulative threats to the Serengeti of the North. They were aroused by powerful feelings and thoughts that occurred to me during the safari and a few reflections after my return home to Canada. In addition, I will show you a few of my best photos of the safari to indicate what it was like at Tarangire.

Blue pins show GPS locations of key moments during my safari at Tarangire National Park.

Tarangire National Park has an area of 2,850 sq km (1,096 sq miles) (See the Tanzania National Parks official website
http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/tarangire.html ). The Tarangire River flows through the park. It gives its name to the park too.

An official BC Government website says, "Mount Edziza Provincial Park encompasses over 230,000 hectares [2,300 sq. km.] of the Tahltan Highlands in northwestern British Columbia. " (See map
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/map.html ). Thus, Tarangire National Park and Edziza protected areas are roughly the same size.

The Tarangire River provides a life line to many kinds of wildlife all the time. It is especially crucial during the dry season. Elephants inhabit the park in large numbers. Hence, they are the flag ship species for the park.

On June 17'14, I would enjoy an easy drive through Tarangire National Park. A fourteen year old Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 transported us through the park. The leaf springs in its suspension system made the ride a rough one!

However, our indigenous driver and guide was very skillful. He enhanced and softened our experience with timely information about wildlife and their habits during the safari.

Field notes:

The Maasia:

During my earlier visit at the Parakuiyo Maasai village west of Morogoro, community leaders told us about the threats to the pastoral life of Maasai. Nowadays, modernization of Tanzania threatens the cultural existence of Maasai. So, it is apparent that the national development goals and population growth of Tanzania would make existence of wildlife more tenuous too.

Right at the start of the safaris, however, I made a decision. Instead of dwelling on the negative reality of threats from natural resource development by a world racing to exploit Africa's immense natural riches, I would focus on my feelings and the beauty of the images before me.

Still during the Tarangire safari my imagination drifted between the awesome scenes in front of me and my memories of treks through the volcanic highlands around Edziza. These treks took place in some of the most beautiful landscapes in Canada. After my return to Canada from Africa, I continued reflection upon my experiences.

Serengeti of the North at Edziza:

Before the last Ice Age (more than 10,000 years ago), prehistoric elephants (woolly mammoths) walked through the area near the volcanic wonderland near my home at northwestern BC. Today, Caribou, Stone Sheep, and Grizzly Bears roam through the sub-arctic version of the Serengeti.

I had learned about amazing obsidian sites from the publication, "Glass and Ice: A Report on the Archaeology of the Mt. Edziza and Spectrum Ranges, Northwest British Columbia by
K. R. Fladmark (1985).

Indigenous people utilized highly prized obsidian from the volcanos in Tahltan country. For countless centuries they too trekked high into the Rainbow Mountains (See https://flic.kr/p/aAXtwZ )in search of the black, glass-like volcanic rock. Thus, establishing an obsidian industry area near Raspberry Pass.

The black glass was used for cutting blades, arrow points, and for trade over great distances to Alaska and Alberta (see https://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/exhibits/journeys/english/mountain_1_4a.php). Obsidian still provides the sharpest cutting edge in modern use. These were the reasons why years ago I trekked twice into these mountains.

On my first trek, my son and a friend visited the area for the first time.  We trekked for 120 km southwards through the mountains of the Tahltan volcanic highlands. I packed a 34 kg (75 pound) pack on my back. We made traverses 760 m down steep mountain sides to valley bottoms. Then our walks back up the other side were an enormous challenge through an elevation change of 2,500 feet.

Environmentalists and aboriginal people in the region learned about shocking BC Hydro plans during the early 1980s. The Crown Corporation wants to build a system of five dams in the Grand Canyon of the Stikine along the northern edge of the Edziza plateau.

As a consequence, the environment movement and Tahltans had launched an opposition movement. It stopped the plans that would destroy this natural treasure.

During the brief summer, a thin, short grass covers the plateau on the western side of the shield volcanic. A large glacier spills southwards from the peak (See https://flic.kr/p/aB19rm). The amazing wildlife and summer grassland (See https://flic.kr/p/2X9ndk ) on this part of the Tahltan Highlands evoked images of the Serengeti. As a result, the plateau along the western side of Mount Edziza, was given a new name, the "Serengeti of the North." Little did I know that one day I would visit the real Serengeti at East Africa!

Mount Edziza Provincial Park has extraordinary wildlife. So, for me, it was an unforgettable experience to walk the volcanic highlands. The memories flooded back to me at Tarangire. I could feel the summer mountain breeze and the peaceful herd of Caribou that had surrounded me, my son and friend on the plateau! I laid down on the deep moss and began taking photographs. I could not help but compare and contrast my experiences at these awesome places on our planet!

On my second trek through the mountains, images of an overflight to the obsidian industry area just south of Raspberry Pass are still vivid in my mind. Below us, a Grizzly sow ran across the tundra chasing her cub to safety. Then I watched in disbelief from the cockpit of the low flying Jet Ranger helicopter as the Grizzly bear sow ( a mother) charged us to defend her cub!

Nowadays, one of the world's largest, undeveloped gold-copper deposits (KSM project) will begin operations soon nearby to the south of the mountains. To the north of Edziza, an open pit copper mine (Red Chris project) will probably soon begin operations too in a watershed for a chain of lakes.

Tahltans, neighbouring First Nations and the Skeena Watershed Coalition stopped coalbed methane exploration proposed for the Sacred Headwaters of the Skeena. The exploration wells were nearby to the east of Edziza.

The Tahltans call this area Spatsizi in their language which means the Land of the Red Mountain Goats. Just like ostriches, elephants, and zebras on the savannah of Africa, mountain goats at Spatzizi roll in red dust for protection against unrelenting attacks by flies, mosquitos and bugs in the sub-arctic near me in Canada. Presently, the colonial name for the area is the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park.

At the present, intensive mining and mineral exploration threatens wildlife at Edziza in many ways. The current cumulative threats to wildlife catalyzed by sustainable development both at home and at East Africa were uppermost in my mind.

Tarangire:

Currently, Northern Tanzania possesses several awesome national parks. Tarangire National Park is one of the more accessible parks. Safaris to Tarangire often begin at Arusha. Then the trip requires a short drive by a 4x4 of 118 km (75 miles) to its location southwest of Arusha.

My visit took place at the end of a budget six-day safari along the Northern Safari Circuit to the Serengeti. The dry season had just begun. Our visit to Tarangire was limited to the northern portion of the park between its northern entrance and the Tarangire River. What is more, I would also visit the little Serengeti at Tarangire National Park. It is about the same size as the "Sergengeti of the North!"

Nonetheless, I was on the last day of my safari adventure at Tanzania. As soon as we entered the park, an unbelievable parade of wildlife put on a show for us! So, I sat back and watched one of the greatest shows in my life. It was so easy! I just sat in the comfort of a 4x4 and watched the incredible spectacle unfold!

Some photos I took at Tarangire National Park:

At the start of the dry season, the Tarangire River in this photo is almost dry. It enters Lake Sereri about 14 km (air distance) from this location.