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The reserve is
located in western part of Tanzania, lying between Tabora and
Rukwa regions. The Ugala Forest Reserve is on the west of Ugala River Game Reserve, consists of a broken table-like
plateau that connects with Masito Hills on the west, with few
narrow and steep valleys.
Ugala has the least forest in the
whole distribution area of Chimpanzee in Tanzania, which
includes
Mahale Mountains National Park and
Gombe Stream National Park. The park has a considerable number
of chimpanzee which are under the project observations. The Tongwe
East Forest Reserve, known to primatologists as Ugala, is one of
the driest habitats in which chimpanzees are known to live.
As such the site is an
important for understanding the climatic and vegetation factors
limiting the distribution of chimpanzees.
The forest reserve covers an area of
2800 square kilometers in the western plateau, which is bounded by
the Uvinza-Mpanda Road in the west, the River Malagalasi in the
north, the Ugala River in the East and a drop-off to the lower
elevation to the south.
The Forest Reserve is dominated by
canyons which are seasonal oriented, [they run dry during dry
season]. Grass and miombo woodlands are types of vegetations
dominating the park, which support remarkable population of
primates and other species such as reptiles and birds such as
owls.
It is included in Ugala Complex,
which includes: Ugala Forest, Ugala Flood Plain (famous for old bulls of elephants), the then Uwanda reserves (now
Katavi N.P), Mlele, Msima
Inyunga, Ugunda and Rungwa River game controlled Area, in total form
largest complex of wildlife in the west and central of Tanzania and share ecosystems with
Ruaha National
Park (see
The Map PDF)
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