Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is a huge volcanic caldera in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. It is situated in Ngorongoro District, and stretches over an area of 14,000sq km. It has a population of approximately 120,000 people, whose major livelihood activity is pastoralist livestock production. The most fascinating attribute about NCA is that aside from being the world’s widest intact Caldera, it is neither active nor flooded. NCA was envisaged as a multiple land use area where different land use interests can to be integrated.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area Arial View
Ngorongoro Conservation Area has attained global attention as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site status it attained in 1979 and it continues to receive adventurous travellers every year. Today it is a prime destination for Tanzania safaris and adventure travellers, earning an estimate 11m US$ on gate entry fees alone in 2005.
Creation of NCA
NCA was created by the Ngorongoro Conservation Ordinance of 1959, when Masai pastoralist were persuaded to leave the Serengeti and permanent springs of Moru and Siironet by the promise of rights to land in Ngorongoro and new water supplies to compensate for what they had left behind. Between 1959 and 1965 three boreholes were constructed as part of the Serengeti Compensation Scheme.
These became defunct in the early 1960s, and by 1994 the three dams constructed under the scheme had collapsed. Over time access to the Ngorongoro, Olmoti and Empaki craters, Olduvai Gorge and the Highland Forest was restricted and managed burning of pastures.
Inhabitants
Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers 8,300sq km of Ngorongoro district, and is currently home to an estimate of 50,000 people, 97% of who are pastoralists. There are six wards and 14 villages in the area, which are represented on Ngorongoro District Council.
In NCA, there are different Masai cultures these include; The Seneto Group this located at Malanja depression; the Kiloki Senyati Group this is situated at 7km south-west of Olduvai gorge; and the Irkeepus Group this located 2km north-east of Lemala gate.
Wildlife

Ngorongoro Wildebeests
Animals are free to move here. This free mobility of animals and rich volcanic soil, lush forests and spring source lakes on the crater floor tend to attract tourists throughout the year. The number of Serengeti migrants pass through this reserve is amounted to 1.7 million wildebeest, 260,000 zebra and 470,000 gazelles. This active Volcano formed about 1.5 million years ago significantly attracts wildlife enthusiasts for game viewing.  It is one of the best places to spot the in danger of extinction black rhino. Other animals present are giraffes.
Bird life
Ngorongoro  also contain some of the bird prey, the most common bird prey is the Augur Buzzard which is either black and white or rare all black. Also in the area there is Verreaux’s Eagle, in South Africa they called a black Eagle, they have a white rump and which favours a mountainous area.
Best Time to Visit
Ngorongoro is best for visiting during the dry season of May through October. It presents the best time for game viewing in the area as animals are congregate around the few water patches and water logged spots.
Administration of Ngorongoro Area
There are currently four major institutions of Authority in NCA:
• The District Administration; This works with the local government set up of villages and wards operating from the district capital Loliondo.
• The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), this is an autonomous parastatal organization
• The Pastoral Council (PC); this advises the NCAA on funding for community developments
• Informal Masai customary structures with age-set and clan leaders.
The overlap of authority and interests between these institutions however, creates a complex situation and often times have led to conflict between the different bodies.