Brooding and primeval,
the forests of Udzungwa seem positively
enchanted: a verdant refuge of sunshine-dappled
glades enclosed by 30metre high trees,
their buttresses layered with fungi,
lichens, mosses and ferns.
Udzungwa is the largest and most
biodiverse of a chain of a dozen large
forest-swathed mountains that rise
majestically from the flat coastal
scrub of eastern Tanzania. Known collectively
as the Eastern Arc Mountains, this
archipelago of isolated massifs has
also been dubbed the African Galapagos
for its treasure-trove of endemic
plants and animals, most familiarly
the delicate African violet.
Udzungwa alone among the ancient
ranges of the Eastern Arc has been
accorded national park status. It
is also unique within Tanzania in
that its closed-canopy forest spans
altitudes of 250 metres (820 feet)
to above 2,000 metres (6,560 ft) without
interruption.
Not a conventional game viewing destination,
Udzungwa is a magnet for hikers. An
excellent network of forest trails
includes the popular half-day ramble
to Sanje Waterfall, which plunges
170 metres (550 feet) through a misty
spray into the forested valley below.
The more challenging two-night Mwanihana
Trail leads to the high plateau, with
its panoramic views over surrounding
sugar plantations, before ascending
to Mwanihana peak, the second-highest
point in the range.
Ornithologists are attracted to Udzungwa
for an avian wealth embracing more
than 400 species, from the lovely
and readily-located green-headed oriole
to more than a dozen secretive Eastern
Arc endemics.
Of six primate species recorded,
the Iringa red colobus and Sanje Crested
Mangabey both occur nowhere else in
the world – the latter, remarkably,
remained undetected by biologists
prior to 1979.
Undoubtedly, this great forest has
yet to reveal all its treasures: ongoing
scientific exploration will surely
add to its diverse catalogue of endemics. |
