6 Facts About Ngorongoro Crater 2026
6 Facts About Ngorongoro Crater 2026
The Ngorongoro Crater is a massive caldera in Northern Tanzania, the home of many animals and birds. And there’s more than that. This crater, together with the Serengeti, make most northern circuit safaris. In this article, we reveal six interesting facts about this wonderful crater. Let’s explore.
1. It’s the world’s largest unbroken and unfilled caldera.
About 2.5 million years ago, a disruptive volcano erupted in the Ngorongoro Mountains, and it resulted in what is now the Empakai, the largest intact volcanic caldera. According to geologists, the Ngorongoro Mountains were among the tallest in the world. Their eruption impact led to the formation of a bowl.
The crater formed measures 18 km (11 miles) in diameter, with its crater rim rising 600 m (1,968 ft) high and a surface area of 264 square kilometers (101 square miles). This enclosed bowl is a self-sustaining ecosystem, with fertile grazing grounds and water bodies.
What does “unbroken” mean? Well, most craters are usually filled by a lake (usually a soda lake). But the Ngorongoro Crater is not broken, meaning it’s not a lake, though a small soda lake of about 18 sq km (7 square miles) exists.
The eruption also formed other small craters, like the Empakai and Olmoti craters. And it resulted in the formation of fertile plains of the Ndutu and southern Serengeti, where the calving season of the wildebeest migration takes place.
2. It’s the home of the Big Five.
The Big Five—lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino—call this spectacular crater home. Because let’s face it, it is much easier to encounter these animals in the crater than in the Serengeti. Here’s how:
About 30 lion prides live here. These large cats rule the savannah plains of the crater, commanding every herbivore. Though the number is so small compared to the Serengeti’s 300 prides, lion sightings are common as you traverse the zigzag paths on the crater floor.
Leopards, as usual, are available, but they play a hard-to-see game. They hide in acacia or sausage trees. Since plains dominate the crater floor, the Lerai Forest is the most promising locale to spot these elusive cats. You can also see them in the plains during early mornings.
The black rhinos, though rare, are always spotted in the shrubs. You can also watch them hiding in acacia and other trees. The crater has about 30 rhinos. Its small size makes it easy to spot on game drives.
Elephants also exist in the Lerai Forest. Here, they shape this forest as they cut branches for their meals. They are also common in the wooded section of the crater.
A full-day game drive on the crater floor may be enough to tick all the boxes for the Big Five. Therefore, the next time you are in Tanzania, set off for the Ngorongoro Crater to find these unique creatures.
3. The crater has no giraffes.
To a surprise, the crater ecosystem supports many species of large animals except giraffes. These beautiful herbivores are indeed a national symbol of Tanzania. They have long legs and a neck that enables them to feed on acacia and other trees.
But why are giraffes not present in the Ngorongoro Crater? There are two reasons for that:
- The crater has steep crater walls. This makes it hard for them to ascend and descend due to their long legs.
- The type of habitat present in the crater doesn’t offer them food. The crater mainly consists of grassland and shrubland, not open woodlands.
Want to see them? Worry not. They are abundant in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area once you ascend the crater. They prefer the open woodlands in the conservation area or the Serengeti.
4. It has the world’s highest density of lions.
It might not have high numbers of lions like the Serengeti, but at least the concentration is incredible. The crater boasts about 70 lions—that means 70 lions in just 100 square miles. Or to be more accurate, let’s just explain.
The crater has around 70 lions, and its size is 264 square kilometers. Which means there’s a lion for every 3.8 square kilometers (3.8 sq km/lion). This is the highest density of lions in the world.
5. It’s home to over 25,000 animals.
Despite having a small size of about 264 square kilometers, this crater is home to over 25,000 large animals. Here, you can spot herbivores like buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, impala, eland, cheetah, hyena, jackal, hippo, and more.
A game drive across this spectacular expanse usually results in numerous encounters with animals of all kinds (except giraffes). Wondrously, animals in this beautiful crater are not migratory—they rarely get out of this fascinating bowl because there’s enough food and water.
6. No one is allowed to walk in the crater except the Maasai.
Walking safaris are not available in the crater. The reason for this is to preserve the fragile ecosystem of this spectacular caldera. But you can walk on the crater rim and watch the crater from a distance.
The Maasai have been in the wilderness for centuries. So, they are part of the vast Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Though they live outside the crater itself, these vibrant, brave communities can bring the cattle to graze alongside animals in the crater. This is usually common during the dry months.
The bottom line.
Are you ready for a safari in the crater? Set off for a rewarding African adventure in the Ngorongoro Crater with our expert field guides. Let’s start planning your adventure.
