Задание №10 — Чтение

The Serengeti is a vast ecosystem in central Africa. It spans 30,000 square kilometres. And in the local language, it means “endless plains.” This region of Africa is situated in north Tanzania and extends to southwestern Kenya. The Serengeti includes Serengeti National Park and a number of game reserves and conservation areas. They are all maintained by the governments of Tanzania and Kenya. The region hosts the largest mammal migration in the world. It is a popular destination for African safaris.

The Serengeti has various flora and fauna. A diverse group of animals call the Serengeti home, including Africa’s “big five” group. It consists of the African elephant, the Cape buffalo, the African leopard, the African lion, and the African black rhino. Cheetahs, giraffes, crocodiles, hippos, more than 500 bird species, and many more animals can also be found across the area. Blue wildebeests, gazelles, and zebras inhabit the region too, along with lions and hyenas. They are familiar to fans of the Disney film, The Lion King.

The most popular time to visit the region is between July and October. The peak of the blue wildebeest migration, usually in October, is an especially popular time in the park – when visitors come to see more than 2 million animals travel up to 800 km from Serengeti National Park to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. This is a huge attraction for tourists. And while many think it is an intense and short-lived phenomenon, it is actually a fairly slow trek. Visitors want to peer into the secret lives of the animals that call this region home.

The Serengeti landscape is divided into two regions defined by their dominant vegetation – woodland and grassland. Woodlands are grassy areas dotted with trees, mainly acacia. Grasslands include riverine, plains and derived grasslands. The large area of the Serengeti is interrupted by the only active volcano there that still ejects lava, which turns white when exposed to air. The landscape is dotted with a number of kopjes. They are large rocky formations that are the result of volcanic activity. The Simba Kopje is a popular tourist stop.

The great migration occurs during the main dry season, which lasts from June through October. The two wet seasons, a short one and a long one, occur from November to December, and from March to May, respectively. Temperatures in the region remain fairly constant throughout the year, with the wet seasons being the warmest. Although a popular image dictates that Africa is mostly a very hot place, it is actually pleasant in the Serengeti. It seldom gets uncomfortably hot, and temperatures drop during the night and early mornings.

The Maasai people had been grazing their cattle in the open plains for around 200 years when the first European explorers visited the area at the end of the 19th century. Because the hunting of lions made them so scarce, people decided to make a game reserve in the area in the 1920s. These actions became the basis for Serengeti National Park, which was established in 1951. As part of the creation of the park, and in order to preserve its wildlife, the Maasai were relocated to the Kenya highlands – a move that is still controversial.

By choosing to visit the Serengeti, tourists are supporting the country’s huge investment in the future. Tourism provides valuable income used to support the conservation work of the national parks in Tanzania. It is also used to help wildlife research and for education in local communities. The animal diversity of the Serengeti is very high. There are at least four globally-threatened or endangered animal species. Thus, it is not surprising that Serengeti National Park is listed as a World Heritage Site.