Tarangire National park Tsetse Flies

About Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National park Tsetse Flies  : Tarangire National Park, which is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the town of Arusha, is a fantastic Tanzania safari location for people with limited time. Visitors can quickly visit two Tanzanian national parks during their Tarangire Safari tour thanks to their close proximity to Lake Manyara National Park.

Tarangire is Tanzania’s sixth-largest national park and can be easily explored in two days. It is named after the river that runs through it and provides vital water to resident animals during the dry season. While the park does not have all five of the big five, it is particularly well-known for its large elephant population. There are an estimated 4000 elephants in the area, so any safari will almost certainly include plenty of sightings of these large mammals. Other large animals seen here include giraffes, leopards, buffalo, hyenas, wildebeest, and zebra, in addition to elephants and lions. Tarangire is home to four of the big five, with only the rhino missing.

Tarangire is also known for its breathtaking scenery. In addition to the stoic, thorny acacias, the mighty baobab tree can be found here. The tree produces nutritious fruits that are high in Vitamin C and calcium and are popular with animals. Another striking feature of the Tarangire landscape is the abundance of termite mounds. Some grow to great heights and can be mistaken for small trees from afar. It is also not uncommon to see a cheetah perched atop a defunct termite mound, which provides an excellent vantage point for spotting prey.

TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK TSETSE FLIES: WHAT ARE TSETSE FLIES?

You’ve probably done a lot of research into the potential health risks you might face before traveling to Tanzania. You’ve had your vaccinations, packed your anti-malarial medications, and are ready to embark on your Tanzania safari adventure. However, there is one African resident for which you cannot adequately prepare: the tsetse fly.  The tsetse fly is a biting insect native to Africa that looks like a regular house fly. They not only have a painful ‘bite,’ but they have also been linked to the incurable African sleeping sickness.

They are common in all of Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit parks, particularly Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and parts of the Serengeti, but not on Mount Kilimanjaro. If you go on a safari, you will undoubtedly see these insects.

In Tswana, the word “tsetse” means “fly”. The family Glossinidae and genus Glossina together contain 23 species of flies. Their size ranges from 6 to 16 mm (.2 to.6 inches), and they have the appearance of a large house fly. They have dark markings on their thorax, or chest, and are yellowish-brown in color.

Two features of tsetse flies’ bodies stand out. One of its wings has the ability to completely fold back so that one wing sits on top of the other. They also have a protruding, long proboscis. This tube-shaped mouthpart is used to consume both human and animal blood.

African sleeping sickness

A parasitic illness that affects both humans and animals, sleeping sickness is spread by the tsetse fly. It is a serious, potentially fatal illness that requires aggressive and immediate medical care despite being relatively uncommon. The likelihood of infection following a bite is very low; most cases of African sleeping sickness are discovered in local farmers and hunters who have endured repeated bite exposure.

Fatigue, aches and pains in the muscles, fever, and headaches are all signs of sleeping sickness. These may eventually worsen into mental illnesses, seizures, insomnia, comas, and even death. African sleeping sickness cases are drastically decreasing, with new cases being just 5% of what they were in 1995, despite the lack of a vaccine or treatment. However, new treatments are constantly being developed, so getting African sleeping sickness need not be considered a “death sentence.”

Symptoms of sleeping sickness

There are two stages to the symptoms of sleeping sickness. Fever, headaches, joint pains, and itching are common symptoms of the first stage, also referred to as the hemolymphatic phase. Lymph nodes swell severely and frequently to enormous sizes when parasites invade the circulatory and lymphatic systems. There may be visible signs, such as swollen lymph nodes along the back of the neck. If untreated, the illness can overwhelm the host’s defenses and result in more severe harm, with symptoms like anemia, endocrine, cardiac, and kidney dysfunction.

When the parasite breaches the blood-brain barrier and enters the central nervous system, the second stage, also known as the neurological phase, starts. Confusion, impaired coordination, disruption of the sleep-wake cycle, fatigue spells interspersed with manic episodes, and insomnia at night and during the day are some of the symptoms. Without treatment, the condition is always fatal, and progressive mental decline eventually results in coma and death. The neurological phase results in irreversible damage.

Am I At Risk in Tanzania?

Tsetse flies and African sleeping sickness still present a risk to Tanzanian residents and visitors, despite not being as common in Western or Central African nations. More people are at risk of contracting the disease when they travel to rural areas and safari parks like Tarangire than when they travel to Zanzibar or urban areas like Arusha and Dar es Salaam, but it’s always a good idea to take precautions.

Where Will I Find Tsetse Flies?

Tsetse flies are present in all of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit parks, but they are particularly prevalent in Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and the Serengeti’s wooded regions. Avoid going on walking safaris in the middle of the day, when the flies are most likely to seek shelter in dense vegetation, because your presence may rouse them from their sleep. Strangely, moving vehicles attract tsetse flies. It’s a good idea to keep your windows closed and your eyes peeled when traveling through heavily forested areas to prevent an unpleasant surprise.

Avoiding Tsetse Flies

You shouldn’t let tsetse flies stop you from going on your ideal Tarangire safari. Although the bites can be uncomfortable (similar to an ant or horsefly sting), there is very little chance that a visitor will get African sleeping sickness. However, if you’d prefer to avoid getting bitten, there are a few safety measures you can take:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants in neutral colors to cover exposed skin.
• Tsetse flies are particularly drawn to black and blue.
• Avoid walking through dense forests in the middle of the day.
• Tsetse flies are only slightly deterred by insect repellent.
• Sleep with a mosquito net.

In addition to offering mosquito nets to all of their visitors, many Tarangire lodges also have panels of black and blue fabric enclosing the property’s perimeter. Due to their attraction to the bright colors, these serve to entice tsetse flies away from the camp or lodge.

Tsetse flies are a bothersome aspect of going on a safari, but they are also an important part of the African experience. You won’t experience any problems if you take the right safety precautions and monitor your health after leaving Africa. You shouldn’t let tsetse flies stop you from going on your ideal Tanzania safari.

Are Tsetse Flies Attracted to Certain Colors?

Tsetse flies are curious creatures that have color vision and are drawn to certain vibrant, dark, and metallic hues. According to studies, red, green, and yellow are their least preferred colors, with blue and black coming in second. Rangers set up targets and traps using blue and black fabrics that have been treated with insecticides and attractants to take advantage of this behavior. These traps are placed around buildings that are frequently visited by park visitors and employees.

WHEN TO VISIT TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

The heavy rainy season may be the only time of year when visiting Tarangire National Park is not advised because of the park’s abundant watering holes and dense foliage. From the end of March until the middle of May, there will be a lot of rain. On the other hand, because the animals are compelled to congregate at the last water sources during the height of the dry season, between September and October, that is when game viewing is at its best.

You will encounter fewer Tsetse flies when visiting Tarangire in the drier months. Anyone who has been bitten by one of these obnoxious, persistent insects knows how taxing they can be on the patience, especially when trying to take a picture of an animal. After its painful bite, the tsetse fly’s diurnal nature—its propensity to be active during the day—is what annoys people the most. Wearing lighter-colored clothing will help because tsetse flies are drawn to darker hues like deep blues and violets. When traveling during the dry season, fewer mosquitoes will be present as well.