Saanane Island National Park
Map showing the location of Saanane Island National Park
Map showing the location of Saanane Island National Park
LocationMwanza, Tanzania
Nearest cityMwanza
Coordinates2°32′39.71″S 32°53′23.″E / 2.5443639°S 32.88972°E / -2.5443639; 32.88972
Area2.18 square kilometres (0.84 sq mi)
Established2013
Visitors5,278 (in 2012[1])
Governing bodyTanzania National Parks Authority

Saanane Island National Park is a Tanzanian national park in Mwanza. The park is located on an island in Lake Victoria and can be reached by boat from the TANAPA offices on Capri Point in Mwanza town.[2][3][4][5] It is named after the local farmer and fisherman Mzee Saanane Chavandi.[6]

History

The park, at the time known as "Saa Nane Island Game Sanctuary", was accidentally bombed during the air campaign of the Uganda–Tanzania War of 1978–1979.[7] On 29 March 1979,[8] Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi ordered one of his Tupolev Tu-22 bombers to attack Mwanza, hoping to thereby intimidate the Tanzanian government into calling off its invasion of Uganda.[9] The Tu-22 completely missed the city, however, and its five anti-personnel rockets instead hit the game sanctuary, slightly injuring one worker and killing several animals. According to journalists Tony Avirgan and Martha Honey, six antelopes as well as many birds were killed.[10] In contrast, intelligence analyst Kenneth M. Pollack stated that "a large number of antelope" was killed.[9]

Fauna

The island is home to various species of mammals, including the velvet monkey, wild cat, zebra and rock hyrax, amongst others. It is the only place in Tanzania where De-brazza's monkeys are found.[11] Over 40 species of bird have also been recorded here.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Tanzania National parks Corporate Information". Tanzania Parks. TANAPA. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  2. ↑ "SAANANE ISLAND DECLARED NATIONAL PARK". TANAPA. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  3. ↑ Nkwame, Marc (4 September 2013). "Saa-Nane Island becomes fully fledged park". Daily News (Tanzania). Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  4. ↑ Philemon, Lusekelo (5 September 2013). "Saanane Island officially declared 16th National Park". IPP Media. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  5. ↑ Nkwame, Marc (8 September 2013). "Rocking and rolling on Saa Nane Island Park". Daily News (Tanzania). Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "Saanane Island National Park". ArcGIS StoryMaps. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  7. ↑ Cooper & Fontanellaz 2015, p. 35.
  8. ↑ "Tanzania Bombs Entebbe Airport, Damaging Runway". The New York Times. 2 April 1979. p. 3. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  9. 1 2 Pollack 2004, p. 372.
  10. ↑ Avirgan & Honey 1983, p. 120.
  11. ↑ "Saanane Island National Park". ArcGIS StoryMaps. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  12. ↑ "News |TANZANIA NATIONAL PARKS". www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz. Retrieved 2021-01-27.

Works cited

  • Avirgan, Tony; Honey, Martha (1983). War in Uganda: The Legacy of Idi Amin. Dar es Salaam: Tanzania Publishing House. ISBN 978-9976-1-0056-3.
  • Cooper, Tom; Fontanellaz, Adrien (2015). Wars and Insurgencies of Uganda 1971–1994. Solihull: Helion & Company Limited. ISBN 978-1-910294-55-0.
  • Pollack, Kenneth Michael (2004). Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness, 1948–1991. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-0686-1.


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