01 · The experience
Most of Tanzania’s national parks close their gates at sunset. Where night drives are permitted, they show you a completely different cast.
National park regulations generally prohibit driving after dark. Night drives happen in private concessions and in some reserves and conservancies bordering the parks, where the rules differ.
A spotlight is used with a filter, and good operators keep it off the animals’ eyes and away from a hunt in progress.
02 · What it involves
What comes out after dark
The small carnivores
Genet, civet, white-tailed mongoose and bat-eared fox — animals almost never seen in daylight.
Hunting, in real time
Lion and leopard hunt at night. A drive in the first two hours after dark catches them starting.
Aardvark and pangolin, in theory
Both possible and both extremely rare. Guides who have seen a pangolin remember the date.
Nightjars and owls
Nightjars sit on the warm track and lift at the last second; several owl species hunt the road edges.
03 · Safari packages
Packages where night drives are possible
04 · Practical
