By Reginald Matillya
IF you have ever thought of how the world
used to be before it was destructed by man then plan a visit to the
southern circuit where the animal kingdom flourishes.
Our beautiful country, Tanzania is gifted with game reserves and
national parks such as Udzungwa National Park found in Iringa and
Morogoro regions. The park is located in southern circuit bordering with
the Great Ruaha River on the north.
Covering an area of about 1,900 square kilometres, Udzungwa Mountains
National Park is formed by plateaus with thick rain forests where trees
are tall and are covered with fungi.
The highest peak is Luhembero which stands 2,576 above sea level,
another is Mwanihana, and both are ideal for hiking. Although its
endowed with Sanje Mangabey and Iringa Red Colobus, the national park
also is home to reptiles, birds and butterflies and mammals such as
elephants, red colobus, Abbott's Duiker, aardvark, bushbucks, lions,
leopards, bush babies, Dikdik, Pangolin, bush pigs, civets, honey
badgers, mongooses and Pukus which are some of the rare antelopes in
Africa and the rest of the world.
The Puku is an antelope which is clearly distinguished from others
with a bright golden yellow, roughly haired coat with whitish under
parts also it has no black and white markings on the head or legs which
make Puku stand out for at 80 cm high at shoulder length.
With a body weight ranging between 70 and 80 kilograms for males with
horns that are 50 centimetres long and formed in an S shaped structure
the females are smaller and hornless with a body weight ranging between
48 and 78 kilograms.
The Puku live near lakes, swamps, rivers and flood plains and during
rain seasons live in groups comprising of three to fifteen members while
in the dry seasons herds can grow bigger consisting of about fifty
animals or more only for security reasons against predators.
The population of these antelopes in Udzungwa National Park come from
an area covering about 6,650 square kilometres in Kilombero river basin
where more than 42,000 of these animals which is about 75 per cent of
54,600 Puku's population in the World to dwell in and around the Greater
Selous Ecosystem which include Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha national park
and Udzungwa National Park.
Other countries in Africa with Puku antelopes are Zambia, Malawi,
Angola, Botswana and Zaire. Throughout Africa this antelope has been
over hunted by professional hunters who are looking for male's horns and
poachers who hunt Puku for bush meat.
In Tanzania the future of these rare antelopes depend on effort by
government and other stake holders in tourism, agriculture and
environment protection organs to work together to control pastoralist
who invade wetlands in Kilombero. At Ngungumbi swamp inside Udzungwa
National park Puku males hold territories in an attempt to persuade
female Pukus to stay within their territories for as long as possible.
In the wet season, due to large floods in their habitat the antelope
will migrate to a high elevation and in dry seasons remain near water.
To avoid competition with other antelopes and threats from predators
they graze early in the morning and make a whistling sound to alert the
whole group who in turn embark on a quick run.
The Puku is an antelope that looks like an Impala but resembles a Kob
in body structure and size. It differs with this cousin through sandy
brown colour which covers almost the whole body except the under part
which is slightly lighter brown unlike that of the Kob which is whitish.
In Udzungwa Mountain National Park there are good number of rivers
passing through different parts but the Sanje waterfalls and Njokamoni
Mwaya waterfalls, Ibito valley and Ngungumbi swamp are other important
area in the park where Puku may be dwelling.
The best way to get to Udzungwa mountain National Park is by road
through Mikumi town in Morogoro or by TAZARA train which passes near the
park at Mangula railway station where there is a road to Mikumi and
from the TAZARA line to Dar es Salaam and Mbeya. The best time to visits
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is during the dry season between June
and October.
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