The grassy plains of Mikumi National Park, encircled by mountain ranges, are like a colourful bowl shimmering in a play of ever-changing skies and light. And the floor of this bowl has prolific wildlife, and the vast herds of animals, the elephants and the roaring of the lions are only some of the many highlights.

The gentle foothills and vast miombo woodland savanna spread out in the southern parts of the park are another world. One of the most magnificent African antelope, the sable antelope, still roams. This area continues to form part of the corridor, or ancient migratory route, by which animals move between the Selous er and the Mikumi plains.

The park lies alongside the Northern border of Africa’s most enormous Game Reserve – the Selous Game Reserve– forming a unique ecosystem. The open horizons and abundant wildlife of the Mkata Floodplain, the fashionable centrepiece of Mikumi, provide a habitat for diverse bird fauna, with both resident species and several migrants that fly here to escape from the Eurasian winter and often draw frequent comparisons to the more famous Serengeti Plains.

Usually, some spotted lions survey their grassy kingdom. The Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala, and Buffalo herds migrate across it from the flattened tops of termite mounds or, sometimes, during the rains, from perches high in the trees. Giraffes forage in the isolated acacia stands that fringe the Mkata River, islets of shade also favored by Elephants.

More than 400 bird species were recorded, the lilac-breasted rollers, yellow-throated longclaws and bateleur eagles joined by a host of European migrants during the rainy season.