Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Almost three million years back, Ngorongoro towered alongside Mount Kilimanjaro as one of the highest peaks in Africa. It was during the time when ancient man first walked the plains that a volcanic top of a crater forged during the tumultuous birth of the Rift valley erupted.

Boasting the finest blend of landscapes, wildlife, people and archaeological sites in Africa, Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is believed to cover some 8,300 sq. km. It is a pioneering experiment in multiple land use in conservation perspective originates from a traditional approach of referring to conservation as being completely free from human interference.

The landscape of Ngorongoro is shaped by the Rifts and volcanoes. Any disturbance in the earth’s crust, which causes rise or falls to its borders is a rift. Rifts further more make lava borders or melted rock to penetrate to the surface where it hardens. A volcano will be built up by the lava if in any case it (lava) emerges from the same penetration for along period.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s main rifts are situated where the nine volcanoes of Ngorongoro highlands were formed during the past four million years, and that is north of lake Eyasi and east of Lake Manyara and Lake Natron; however it is important to note that only volcano Oldonyo Lengai is still active of all these.

The wind therefore carried the ash and dust from the eruptions and so from these, the fertile soils of the Serengeti plains were formed.