About 2600 m above sea level, in between cliffy mountain peaks of the Kipengere, Poroto and Livingstone mountains, the volcanic Kitulo soil serves as a nutrition solution for the most important mountain grassland of Tanzania. Kitulo is one of the most important catchments area of the great Ruaha river and also the first National Park of the tropical Africa which is mainly famous for its flowers: Not only a multitude of terrestrial orchids, but also stunning yellow-orange red-hot poker and a variety of aloes, Proteas, geraniums, giant lobelias, lilies and aster daisies of which more than 30 species are endemic to southern Tanzania. Big game is sparsely represented, though a few hardy mountain reedbuck and eland still roam the open grassland. Single patches of forest are also home to the endangered Kipunji monkey. These primates live in trees and were only in 2003 discovered by zoogolists. But Kitulo is also highly alluring to birdwatchers. Tanzania’s only population of the rare Denham’s bustard is resident, alongside a breeding colony of the endangered blue swallow and such range-restricted species as mountain marsh widow, Njombe cisticola and Kipengere seedeater. Endemic species of butterfly, chameleon, lizard and frog further enhance the biological wealth of God’s Garden.

(Tanapa, 2008. Kitulo National Park. Parts retrieved from http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/kitulo.html)