Selous Game Reserve

Among Africa's game reserves, Selous is the biggest and most remote.

Selous is Africa's biggest game reserve, a wilderness region larger than either Denmark or Switzerland, at roughly 50,000 square kilometres. The Reserve is three times the size of the Serengeti and encompasses more than five percent of Tanzania's entire geographical area. Although Selous is a little out of the way from the more well-trodden safari circuits, it is well worth the effort for the opportunity to see wildlife in a nearly untouched environment.

There are almost 200,000 buffalo, 30,000 elephants (more than half the country's population), and 80,000 wildebeest living in the park, along with one of the most thriving groups of the critically endangered African Wild Dog. Poachers wiped off the black rhino population in the Reserve in the 1970s and 1980s, but thanks to a successful rehabilitation programme, visitors may once again see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.

In 1905, a small portion of what is now the Reserve was designated as a game conservancy; the area was enlarged and renamed (after Frederick Courtenay Selous, a hunter and soldier from the 19th century) in the 1920s. The Selous was abandoned by humans in the 1930s and 1940s as a result of repeated outbreaks of sleeping sickness. The sleeping sickness epidemics of yesteryear are long gone, but the Selous remains a wild and uncharted region of Africa. The Reserve was declared a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1982 because to its very rare environment.

Because it is one of the most picturesque and game-rich regions in the ecosystem, the northern sector of Selous has been set aside for photography tourists. Wooded areas, grassy steppes, and seasonal wetlands make up around three-quarters of the Reserve. Within Selous are found several significant ecosystems, including imposing riverine forests and dense, impenetrable thickets. The Rufiji River is one of East Africa's greatest water systems, and it's known for its width and meandering nature. One of the most remarkable natural systems in all of East Africa, thanks to the presence of many wetlands, lakes, and swamps in the area.

Selous's tiny and secluded camps and lodges provide walking safaris, boat safaris, and classic game drives, with little possibility of seeing any trace of human activity. Those who want to explore the finest of Africa without being confined in a safari vehicle are increasingly opting for fly camping, often known as mobile walking safaris. If you're fortunate, you'll see a troop of African wild dogs on your game drive or stroll.

Despite its decline elsewhere in Africa, this species is prospering in Selous. These intriguing creatures are not afraid of automobiles and may frequently be seen in close proximity, allowing us an up-close look at their vibrant social lives. The tourism zone has more dogs per square foot than any other place in Africa.

The extensive and diverse avian life of the Selous Game Reserve is a major reason for the reserve's widespread acclaim, even though its namesake huge beasts steal the show. The most noticeable avifauna is located around the ever-shifting Rufiji River's sandbanks, oxbow lakes, lagoons, and channels. The towering leaves of the native Borassus palms swaying in the African air add a sense of majesty to the already breathtaking riverside backdrop.

Trees as old as the baobabs, which are revered by many indigenous communities, tower over the horizon in the distance. Fish eagles perch on their dead, hollow, leafless trunks, while Egyptian geese and Dickinson's kestrels use them as nesting places.