Meserani Snake Park is located 25 km to the west of Arusha city on the way to the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Meserani Snake Park was founded in 1993 by 4 people from South Africa. Two of them had been seriously interested in studying reptiles for many years, so opening a reptile park on one of the busiest tourist routes in Tanzania seemed like a good idea to them. They bought 4 hectares of barren land without any buildings.
Now hundreds of trees and plants grow in the park. It is home to about 50 species of snakes common to Eastern and Southern Africa, including black and green mambas, black-necked and red spitting cobras, Egyptian cobras, puff vipers, African pythons. Other reptiles in the park include monitor lizards, tortoises, crocodiles, as well as more than 60 species of orphaned or injured birds that would not have survived if they had returned to the wild.
The Snake Park provide guided tours for tourists:
In the park there is a well-equipped camping site with clean modern tents and hot showers, a wonderful barbecue area and a fully stocked bar. Moreover, there is a car repair shop, where tourist equipment can also be repaired.
All the proceeds from giving guided tours, selling souvenirs, providing car services and accommodation at the campsite go not only to the maintenance of the park. The Snake Park is of crucial importance for the region. It not only provides job for about 50 local people all year round, but also supports the community with other non-trivial and noble projects.
Thus, in the Free Education Centre the local Maasai have the opportunity to learn how to read and write and further their education in many different ways. Moreover, there’s a free Medical Clinic in the Snake Park, which provides medical care to 1,000 patients per month.
