Selous game reserve.
Selous game reserve Tanzania in the Miombo woodlands and positioned in a distance of about 130 to 500 kilometers south west of Dar-es-salaam. Selous game reserve shares boundaries with Mikumi national park and Udzungwa Mountains national park in the northwest and Kilombero game controlled area in the west. Selous National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is 50,000 square kilometres big. There are different tenure and flora zones in the park’s area. In the middle of Selous Game Reserve, there is a flat, rolling area with alluvial valleys, inselbergs that stick out, and thickets and closed forests. In the south, there are forests, hills, and rough terrain. In the south west, there are the 1300 meter-high Mbarika Mountains. In the west of Selous Game Reserve, there are mountains and forests with wet plains in between. The east and north are tree grasslands that are flooded by river Rufiji when it rains.
Attractions in Selous Game Reserve.
Lakes.
Selous game reserve consists of lakes which are dwelling to wildlife and bird life species, these lakes include Tagalala, Mzizimia, Siwandu, Manze and Nzelekela. Also, animals are drawn to the Rufiji River and its branches, especially during the dry season, when they come to drink water.
Rufiji River.
The largest river in Tanzania, the Rufiji, runs through the Selous reserve, creating a large network of swamps, water channels, and small “lakes.” This subsequently kinds an array of water sources which draw large numbers of wild animals such as big herds of Elephants and antelopes especially in the dry season. This river is also known for the exciting boat rides you can take on it while on a Tanzania safari in Selous. It is also noteworthy that the great river Rufiji also divides the reserve into two major sectors which are the northern sector dedicated to photographic safaris and the southern sector splint into hunting blocks
Bird species.
Over 440 kinds of birds live in the Selous, and the best places to see them are along the river Rufiji and the other lakes. From November to April, a lot of migratory birds gather in the area. This is the best time to go birding in Selous. The White-backed night heron, Spur-winged lapwing, Palm-nut vulture, African wattled lapwing, the Brown-necked parrot, White-headed lapwing, Black-winged stilt, Brown-headed parrot, White-fronted bee-eater, White-fronted plover, Pearl-spotted owlet, White-fronted bee-eater, White-fronted Pel’s fishing owl is a rare bird, as are the African spoonbill, the Broad-billed roller, White-headed vulture, African skimmer, Yellow-billed stork, Bohm’s bee-eater, and many others.
Animal species.
When we look at how many different kinds of big animals live in the Selous, I’m sure you’ll agree with many people that this is one of the best places in Africa to go on a wildlife safari. There are about 110,000 elephants in the Selous. There are also about 35,000 zebras, 40,000 hippos, 25,000 impalas, 150,000 buffalos, and about 4,000 lions, which is the biggest number of any animal in Africa. Rhinos, brindled gnu, Nyasaland gnu, sable antelope, eland, greater kudu, waterbuck, hartebeest, giraffe, reedbuck, warthog, spotted hyena, lion, leopard, and hunting dog are also there.
Because wildlife viewing is among the most popular tourist safari activities in Selous, there are plenty of game viewing safari activities available in this reserve. A number of trips are offered by boat, vehicle or on foot. Boat safaris for example allow you to glide carefully on the rivers and water channels grabbing you through the birds and animal habitats offering you closer views of wildlife such as hippos and crocodiles.
The best time to see animals in the Selous is at the end of the dry season, when many big animals gather around the few remaining sources of water, such as the five lakes.
Unique Vegetation.
Compared to the rest of Tanzania, the Selous Game Reserve has a different type of plant growth. Its vast lands are dominated by wooded savanna grasslands as well as a deciduous Miombo forest. On the other hand, the Selous is home to unique plants like rocky outcrops, thick shrubs with thorns, and large water forests.
Grave of Fredrick Selous.
Frederick Courteney Selous, a conservationist and early British explorer, was killed and buried in the Selous reserve in World War I, and it is after him that the Selous Game Reserve was named. You can visit his gravestone, which is near a tamarind tree. He was Cecil John Rhodes’ right-hand man in his plan to make the country that is now Zimbabwe part of the British Empire. In 1899, he lost some of his honor because he spoke out against the war that England was fighting against the Boer Republics in South Africa. During the First World War, Fredrick Selous was put in charge of the 25th Royal Fusiliers in the Selous. He was 60 years old at the time and won a DSO in 1916. He led the search for the German rebel army that was in charge of southern Tanzania. He did this because he knew these areas very well.
On January 4, 1917, he was fighting against Schutztruppen, a group of German colonists, in a bush war along the banks of the River Rufiji. He was outnumbered, and a German shooter shot him in the head. He was buried near where he died, at a place called Beho on the northern edge of the Selous game reserve.
Lake Tagalala.
Lake Tagalala is an oxbow lake. It is surrounded by dying trees that usually die when the water level is high during the rainy season. As the dry season starts and most of the Selous dries up, Lake Tagalala gets a lot of zebras, buffaloes, elephants, impalas, and other herbivores. This brings a lot of predators, like lions, to eat these animals. In the shallows of this lake, you can also see a very large number and variety of bird species. This makes it a good place for game drives and hunting in Selous Game Reserve. When people go on a Tanzania Safari and visit this lake, many of them take a refreshing dip in the hot water spring nearby. Others choose to take a boat ride on the lake to see animals and birds, while others just look for animals from their safari vehicles.
Safari activities in Selous game reserve.
Game viewing.
Game viewing in Selous game reserve is one of emphasize safari activities provided, the game reserve is a dwelling to an array of animal species including the biggest population of the rare African wild dog spotted while on this safari experience. You can see animals like zebras, impalas, giraffes, greater kudus, waterbucks, bushbucks, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, elands, African wild dogs, brindled gnu, Nyasaland gnu, sable antelopes, warthogs, leopards, spotted hyenas, crocodiles, and many more from the comfort of your 4X4 vehicle. The sides of the river Rufiji are an ideal spot to see animals because a lot of them come there to drink water.
Bird watching.
Selous Game Reserve is one of the best safari destination to go on a bird watching safari in Tanzania. More than 440 bird species live on the islands, channels, sandbanks of river Rufiji, and lagoons of this game reserve. The fact the Selous game reserve receives the migratory bird species from Europe and northern Africa, the reserves receives migratory bird species from the month of April. Bird watching safari in Selous game reserve offers sights of bird species like African wattled lapwing, white-fronted bee-eater, Pel’s fishing owl, African spoonbill, common-white headed vulture, pearl-spotted owlet, white-headed Lapwing, Bohm’s bee-eater, yellow-billed stork, thick-billed cuckoo, white-backed night heron, carmine bee-eater, rock pratincole, giant kingfishers, spur-winged plovers and many more.
Walking safaris.
Walking safaris in Selous game reserve take place adhering to the stunning river Rufiji on the sandbanks and through the riverine forests on the banks of the river, this experience provides excellent opportunity to explore Selous game reserve to its fullest. Walking safaris are done in groups of no more than six people, led by an experienced, armed safari guide. On this safari, you might see lions, giraffes, waterbucks, elephants, and other animals as they feed, as well as hippos, crocodiles, and other animals playing in the River Rufiji.
Boat safaris.
Selous game reserve is one of the few safari destination in Tanzania where visitors can see animals from the water. Selous River camp sets up boat cruise on River Rufiji and Lake Tagalala so that people can see animals from the water. There are both short boat safaris and full day boat safaris. A two-hour short boat safari is offered twice a day, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Full-day boat tours run from 10 am to 6 pm and are a great way to see animals like crocodiles, hippos, and lions, giraffes, impalas, and waterbucks coming to drink water.
Fishing safaris.
The Selous Game Reserve is an outstanding spot to go on a fishing safari. Rufiji River runs through the reserve and is home to many fish types that can be caught on fishing safaris. On fishing safaris, you might catch Rufiji Tilapia, Oreochromis Urolepis elephant fish, Marmyrus Longirostris, catfish like Heterobrancus catfish, and many other types of fish. Fishing safaris serves with a boat cruise experience to get to the fishing spots.
Cultural tours.
A safari in Selous Game Reserve isn’t complete until you’ve been to the Mloka village, which is near the park and downriver from Selous River camp. On a cultural tour, tourists can meet the locals, visit primary schools, markets, and do many other things to get a feel for the culture and way of life there. Cultural trips can be long or short, depending on what a tourist wants and how much time they have.
How to get to Selous game reserve.
Selous game reserve can be reached by road, air and railway which are affordable to tourists going to the park for a safari, by road From Dar-es-Salaam to Mtemere gate, which is near the Selous Game Reserve, it takes about 6 hours to drive 240 kilometres through Kibiti and Mloka to get there. By train, it takes 4-5 hours to get to Selous Game Reserve. The train stops in Matambwe, and from there you can get to the park. By air, you can get to Selous game reserve from Arusha and Dar-es-Salaam every day on chartered trips. Domestic airlines like Air Tanzania, Precision Air, Regional Air, ZanAir, Safari Air Link, and Coastal Aviation all offer these trips. The Selous game reserve is served by the Mtemere airport. This is where flights to the game reserve land.
Where to stay in Selous game reserve.
In Selous game reserve there is multiple accommodation establishments with different status established to offer accommodations to stay to tourists in Selous game reserve, the accommodation establishments include Sand river Selous, Jimbiza Lodge, Selous Kulinda camp, Selous Mbega Camp, Selous wilderness camp, Africa safari camp, Selous Ngalawa camp, Selous river camp, The Retreat, Roho ya Selous, Selous Serena camp, Mivumo River Lodge and many more.