Selous Game Reserve

Selous Game Reserve is Africa’s largest protected wildlife reserve covering more than 5% of Tanzania’s total area. It is situated in south-east Tanzania in a remote and little-visited area. Due to its remote location, and limited accessibility of only by small aircraft, the Selous Game Reserve has remained one of the untouched gems of the country’s national parks and game reserves. The Reserve is home to over 1,000,000 large animals and inhabits close to half the elephant population in the country. Its rivers, hills, and plains are home to roaming elephant populations, the area’s famous wild dogs, and some of the last black rhino left in the region.

The Reserve is one of the more historic protected areas in Tanzania, and was named after Frederick Courteney Selous, a British explorer and hunter in East Africa. In 1905, when few people in East Africa thought of land conservation and the preservation of wildlife for posterity, portions of the area were earmarked for a hunting reserve. From then until 1975, when the current boundaries were delineated, the Selous Game Reserve increased steadily in allocated land. Currently, tourists flock to the north of the reserve, while large portions of the south are still reserved for hunting.

The Selous’ ecosystem as a whole is made up of a few conservation areas, namely Mikumi in the North and the Kilombero game controlled area in the West, covering in total over 90,000 sq km of pristine wilderness devoid of human influence.

Reserve History

Selous Game Reserve was thought of as a place of enormous natural value and has since been subjected to management and conservation measures as early as the 1890’s. From 1905-1912 it was made up of four reserves established by German colonial administration. In 1922 these four smaller reserves were merged to form the Selous Game Reserve named after the legendary hunter/explorer who died in the area in 1917.
Between 1936 and 1947, this area was enlarged several times over so as to include major animal movement corridors, particularly those of elephants who wander over vast distances throughout their lives. In 1974 the Park reached its present glory and became one of Tanzania’s three World Heritage Sites along with Zanzibar and Olduvai Gorge.

Rufiji River

River Rufiji, the largest river in East Africa which drains South Western Tanzania, waters this reserve. It connects with Ruaha River and empties out into the Indian Ocean along the Tanzanian Coast. And as such, is home to a plethora of varied water and bird life. Along its shores, opulent hippos sleep languidly in the mud and sun themselves, mouths wide open, as the river passes by. Crocodiles are also common along the riverbanks. The River has also formed several large lakes on its Northern bank, navigable by boat. The Selous Safari Camp is situated on one of these lakes, sheltered in a grove of one of Selous’ many beautiful palm forests.

This splendidly diverse, vast and well watered habitat has the right ingredients to enable the land to hold a strangely high number of animals of all types and sizes as well as support an extraordinary array of different vegetation types. Stiggler’s Gorge, where River Rufiji meets the mighty Ruaha River, is stunning scenery along the game reserve’s waterways.

Selous Wildlife

Selous has over 2,100 species of plants, 350 species of birds, 60,000 elephant, 108,000 buffalos and an estimated 1,300 of the worlds’ approximately 4,000 remaining rare wild dogs giving guests an opportunity to glimpse all of these exotic animals in true unspoilt wilderness.

Safari Activities in Selous Game Reserve

Selous Game Reserve is unique among Tanzania’s more renowned preserved areas because it is a game reserve, not a national park, and therefore a larger range of activities are acceptable. Boating safaris have blossomed as a popular alternative to vehicle-based trips, and offer visitors a chance to view the diverse life along the Rufigi River up close. Hiking safaris and fly camping are also ideal ways to explore the country and add a bit of adventure to your African experience.