subject: Tanzania Tour: Experience The Beauty Of The East African Wild [print this page] Going on a Tanzania game safari is probably the best way to enjoy the ambiance of the the East African wild. Tanzania is recognized as one of the best hunting safari destination in Africa, with two game safari circuits; northern and southern. Anchored by Dar es Salaam and covering Selous, Mikumi, Ruaha and Udzungwa game reserves, the southern circuit is very popular among lovers of game safaris.
Selous Game Reserve is the main attraction of the southern circuit and as such game safaris can be very entertaining here. The reserve is named in the honour of Fredrick Courtney Selous, a renowned naturalist and explorer whose life ended here during the First World War. Located about 500 km to the southwest of the port city of Dar es Salaam, Selous occupies a massive 55,000 sq km - quite bigger than Switzerland. It is said to be Africa's largest game reserve.
Selous was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 thanks to its diverse flora and fauna. This vast wilderness has a wide range of habitats including forests, swamps, savanna woodlands, and open grasslands. More than 2,100 species of plants have been recorded in Selous. The Rufiji River nourishes the reserve and its many tributaries and oxbow lakes are excellent for boat safaris. The game to view here include hippo, black rhino, buffalo, lion, waterbuck, reedbuck, baboon, wild dog, and many others. Notably, elephants are numerous in Selous - estimated to number over 60,000 individuals.
Mikumi National Park is said to be the most accessible of the southern game reserves. Located 283 km to the west of Dar es Salaam, the reserve covers 3,230 sq km and hosts an array of wild animals including buffalo, elephants, lion, warthog, zebra, giraffe, impala, wildebeest and eland. Wild dogs - considered an endangered carnivore species -are also found here in good numbers. Other animals that can be spotted in Mikumi are hippos, monitor lizards and crocodiles. The reserve also has a thriving population of birdlife, many of them being Eurasian migrants.
Ruaha National Park is aptly named after the mighty Ruaha River - its main source of water. Covering a massive 12,950 sq km, Ruaha is the second largest national park in Tanzania. It is also Africa's largest elephant sanctuary. Other species of wildlife present in Ruaha are the African Wild Dog and Sable Antelope. And with more than 430 bird species, Hornbills, Kingfishers and Sunbirds, Ruaha is a birdwatchers paradise.
by: Andrew Muigai
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