Mikumi National Park is located less than 300 kilometres from Dar es Salaam, and because of its accessibility it is one of the most popular parks in Tanzania and is an important centre for education where students go to study ecology and conservation. The Mikumi flood plain, with its open grasslands, dominates the park together with the mountain ranges that border the park on two sides. A wide range of wildlife inhabits its 3,230 sq km area. Lion is commonly seen as are packs of African hunting dog, rare elsewhere in Africa. Elephants may be encountered and other animals frequently observed are buffalo, civet, eland, giraffe, impala, kudu, reedbuck, warthog, waterbuck, wildebeest, zebra and Lichtenstein’s hartebeest. Near the southern boundary of the park it is possible to see groups of female and young bachelor sable with their one dominant male. Crocodiles, monitor lizard and python are among the park’s many other residents. Over 400 species of birds have been observed in the park, many of which are Eurasian migrants who stay between October and April.