Selous National Park, now Nyerere National Park is one of Africa’s largest and protected wilderness areas covering an area of 54600 sq kms. The protected area is located in southern Tanzania. The reserve was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to its rich biodiversity and size. Selous was established as a game reserve in 1922 by German colonial authorities, making it one of Africa’s oldest protected areas. The Reserve was named after Frederick Courteney Selous, a British explorer, conservationist, and soldier who was killed in 1917 during World War I in Tanzania. In 2019, the Tanzanian government designated a portion of the Selous Game Reserve as a national park known as Nyerere National Park to honor the country’s first president, Julius Nyerere. The Game Reserve showcases a diverse array of landscapes including sporadic lakes, volcanic springs and river channels like River Rufiji, Ruaha River. The ecosystem in the reserve supports a wide variety of wildlife making it a best destination for game viewing and safari experience.
Flora in Selous Game Reserve
Selous Game Reserve is dominated by Savanna wooded grasslands and Miombo woodland. The Miombo trees are drought-resistant and form a semi-deciduous canopy that sheds leaves in the dry season thus allowing sunlight to reach the ground and support grasses. Along River Rufiji there are thick thorn shrubs and ground-water forests. These areas offer essential shade, water access, and habitat for animals, including hippos, crocodiles, and bird species.
Fauna in Selous Game Reserve
Selous Game Reserve hosts a wide variety of mammal species which make it an ideal place for game drive. The park has several water bodies which are hotspots for sighting distinct animal species during dry season. Some of animals in Selous Game Reserve include; elands, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, wildebeests, puku antelopes, impalas, greater kudus, sable antelope, waterbucks, bushbucks, zebras, buffalos, black rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, elephants, hyenas, lions, African wild dogs and leopards. The park is also a home to over 445 bird species including the migratory and water birds. Some of these that can do these birds include; mangrove kingfisher, African spoonbill, African skimmer, giant kingfishers, yellow-billed stork, rock pratincole, ibises, fish eagle, white-crowned spur-winged plovers, pink backed pelican, palm nut vultures, trumpeter hornbill, carmine, thick billed cuckoo, black winged stilt, white fronted bee-eater, broad billed roller, racket billed roller, purple-crested turaco, malachite kingfishers, Green billed coucal, long tailed fiscal
Things to do in Selous Game Reserve
There are a number of different activities one can engage and offer memorable experience while on safari in Selous Game Reserve and some of them include;
- Game drives
Game drives in Selous Game Reserve conducted in 4 X 4 open roof safari cars so as to offer tourists rewarding views of animals. They are conducted in the morning and late evening, however you can take a full day game drive so as to explore all areas in the park. Selous is famous for elephants but there are also other animals like; elands, bush-bucks, water bucks, greater kudus, impalas, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, wild dogs and some birds along Rufiji River. - Bird watching
Selous Game Reserve hosts over 445 bird species including the migratory birds, forest birds, water birds among others. Some of these birds that call Selous home include; African spoonbill, African skimmer, yellow-billed stork, ibises, pink backed pelican, trumpeter hornbill, mangrove kingfisher, thick billed cuckoo, black winged stilt, white fronted bee-eater, broad billed roller, racket billed roller, palm nut vultures, giant kingfishers, white-crowned spur-winged plovers, fish eagle, purple-crested turaco, carmine, malachite kingfishers, Green billed coucal, rock pratincole, long tailed fiscal and others. These birds can be spotted during boat cruises and guided walking safari around sandbanks, Rufiji River, lagoons, lake channels and islands. - Boat safari
The activity is carried out on Rufiji River, Lake Siwadu, Lake Nzelekela, Lake Mzizimia, Lake Manze, and Lake Tagalala. Boat cruises in Selous Game Reserve are offered in two kinds, for instance, short and full day boat safari. Short boat safari is offered in two sessions; the morning session which starts from 7-9 am and evening session starts from 4 – 6 pm. Whereas the full day boat safari begins at 10 am and ends at 6 pm. The activity offers an opportunity to encounter hippos, crocodiles and water birds. - Walking safari
This is one of the adventurous activities in the park which offers an opportunity to tourists to explore the park on foot. Walking safari in Selous Game Reserve starts at 7:00 am at Mtemere gate and is done in groups of 6 people with the guidance of the armed ranger. The ranger will lead you in different trails like riverine forest, sandbanks and Rufiji River. The activity takes 2 to 3 hours. Visitors get an opportunity to see different animals at a close distance. Some of animals that can be spotted include; wildebeests, giraffes, elephants, zebras among others. - Cultural tour
Aside from other activities in Selous Game Reserve, you can also take time and do cultural tours. The cultural tours are organized in Mwaseni or Mloka Village. The Mloka village is located down the Selous River. While in this village you will be entertained by dance and drama by the local people, visit schools and local markets. Alternatively, you can visit the Mwaseni village which has local mud- hut houses, craft shops and community schools. Cultural tours in this village involve hiking which offers an opportunity to watch how the local people carry out their daily activities like farming, African style of grinding and fishing.
When to visit Selous Game Reserve
Selous Game Reserve can be visited throughout the year. However, the best time to visit the reserve is during the dry season from June to October or December to February. During this period there is less rain therefore shrubs and bushes are short, offering good sightings for animals. Also roads are not slippery. For bird enthusiasts, the best time to visit the reserve is during the mid of December to March as many migratory birds settle in Selous Game Reserve. Wild dog lovers, June to August is the best time since this is their denning season.
How to access Selous Game Reserve
There are several transport means one can use to reach Selous National park and some of these include; by road, air or railway.
By air, Selous Game Reserve can easily be accessed with use of any of the local aircraft which connect from Ruaha as well as Dar es Salaam. A flight from Dar es Salaam to Selous is about 45 minutes while from Ruaha it would take around 90 minutes. The park can also be accessed by road with a trip connecting from Dar es salaam which passes through Mikumi National Park and then you can reach the park through Matambwe Gate. The journey is considerably longer but it offers great views. By road the journey covers a distance of 220 km and takes approximately 4 to 6 hours drive. Alternatively you can opt for railway transport using the Tanzania Zambia railway TAZARA. The railroads begins from the Dar-es-Salaam and takes you across the wilderness all the way to Matambwe gate and then connects to Selous park headquarters. The journey takes 4-5 hours however, the train is notoriously late.
Accommodation in Selous Game Reserve
Selous has a number of lodges dotted around the park, many of them sustainable eco-hotels. These facilities range from budget, mid-range to luxury and high end. Some of them include Selous Kulinda Camp,Selous Impala camp, Beho Beho, Kiba Point Safari lodge, Rufiji River Camp, Mivumo River lodge, Selous Wilderness camp, Sable Mountain lodge, and Amara Selous.