The Ngorongoro crater is a part of the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area and often referred to as one of the wonders of the natural world. This crater was once an active volcano until an eruption a few million years in the past blew its cap off, to give the world its largest unbroken caldera encompassing over 260 square kilometers. The Ngorongoro crater was initially a part of the Serengeti national park but was later separated from it in 1959. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is an unique area where the pastoralist Maasai tribe and wildlife live amongst each other. The crater is home to the charismatic large animals known as the "big five" and to smaller mammals like the serval, civet, genet and caracal. It is also well known as a haven for the very endangered black rhino.  Popularly called "the garden of eden", there really is no place like the Ngorongoro crater anywhere on earth!