The Bushbuck resides in forests and wooded areas, or as Africanists call it, "the bush". While plentifull in numbers, this antelope is primarily nocturnal, making it hard to spot. Arusha National Park is one of your better bets while on a northern circuit safari.

Northern Parks: Arusha

This little gem of Tanzania's parks lies in middle of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. The Park has three destinct zones, Ngurdoto Crater (often described as a mini-Ngorongoro), the Momella Lakes (a group of shallow alkaline lakes fed by underground streams) and Mount Meru. Animals resident in this 137 sq. km park inlcude buffalo, elephant, hippo, giraffe, zebra, a variety of antelope, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, leopard and hyena.

Although elephants are uncommon in Arusha National Park, and lions absent altogether, leopards and spotted hyenas may be seen slinking around in the early morning and late afternoon. It is also at dusk and dawn that the veil of cloud on the eastern horizon is most likely to clear, revealing the majestic snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro, only 50km (30 miles) distant.

But it is Kilimanjaro’s unassuming cousin, Mount Meru - the fifth highest in Africa at 4,566 metres (14,990 feet) – that dominates the park’s horizon. Its peaks and eastern footslopes protected within the national park, Meru offers unparalleled views of its famous neighbour, while also forming a rewarding hiking destination in its own right.

Passing first through wooded savannah where buffalos and giraffes are frequently encountered, the ascent of Meru leads into forests aflame with red-hot pokers and dripping with Spanish moss, before reaching high open heath spiked with giant lobelias. Everlasting flowers cling to the alpine desert, as delicately-hoofed klipspringers mark the hike’s progress. Astride the craggy summit, Kilimanjaro stands unveiled, blushing in the sunrise.