Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area spans a vast area of high plains, savannah, savanna woodlands and forests. Established in 1959, the conservancy is a multi-use land area where wildlife coexists with semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists who practice traditional livestock herding and includes the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, the largest volcanic crater in the world. The property is of global importance for biodiversity conservation due to the presence of globally endangered species, the density of wildlife in the area, and the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, gazelle and other animals to the northern plains. Extensive archaeological research has also produced a range of evidence for human evolution and human-environment dynamics, including early ape footprints dating back 3.6 million years.