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Saanane Island National Park
Saanane Island National Park is a Tanzanian
national park in Mwanza. The park is located on an island in Lake Victoria and
can be reached by boat in about 10 minutes, from the TANAPA offices on Capri
Point in Mwanza town.
Saanane Island is a fully fledged National
Park since July, 2013, covering an area of 2.18 sq km comprises of three islets
and aquatic environment. The islets lie on the southern part of the main
Island.
The park made a record of being the first
ever National Park to be located within the City and the smallest National Park
in both Tanzania and East Africa. The Park is the home of mammals like Impala,
Rock Hyrax, Velvet Monkeys and Wild Cats. The presence of “De-brazas Monkey”
underscores its potential as the only Park in the country inhabiting the
species. Reptiles are also dominant;
they include crocodiles, Monitor Lizards, Agama Lizards, Pancake and Leopard
Tortoises, Snakes particularly Python.
Gallery
The aquatic part of the Park inhabits a
variety of fisheries life, mainly Tilapia and Nile Perch.
Location
The Park is located 2km Southwest of Mwanza
city centre, which lies in the Gulf of Lake Victoria (Latitude 2.5 S and
Longitude 32 E).
Getting There
One can travel by road or air from either
Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro International Air Ports to Mwanza. Also can travel by road or railway to Mwanza
City from Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Kigoma and Tabora. to mention a few. Moreover,
people can travel by ship/vessel to Mwanza Port from Uganda, Kenya, Bukoba and
nearby Islands.
The Island is accessed by a regular short
boat ride for about 5 minutes from Park Offices, on the mainland. Park Offices
are easily accessed about 15 minutes’ short walk from the City Centre.
To Do in Saanane Island National Park
Saanane Island is an ideal place for game
viewing, bird watching, rock hiking, boat cruise, walking, picnics, bush lunch,
photographing/filming, meditation and sport fishing. Special occasions like wedding, engagement,
team building, family day and birthdays can also be organized.
History
Saa Nane Island was named after its
previous owner, Mzee Saanane Chawandi, a fisherman who turned into a farmer and
later shifted to another island (after being compensated) to pave the way for
conservation efforts in the early 1960’s. The Tanzania government officially
owned the island in 1964 as the first ever government owned zoo. Originally its
territory measured some 0.7 square kilometers comprising both dry land and
water. However, Saa Nane National Park annexed and includes two other smaller
islets known as Chankende Kubwa and Chandkende Ndogo both located in the
southern part of the main island into the bargain thus increasing its protected
area to 1.32 square kilometers. The main objective was to promote intense and
conservation education in wildlife and to promote recreation to the people of
Mwanza.
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