Nyerere National Park & Selous Game Reserve

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Nyerere National Park & Selous Game Reserve

One of the largest protected areas on the African continent is located in Southwest Tanzania: Nyerere National Park and Selous Game Reserve. Combined they cover an area larger than Switzerland. They are home to a such a wealth of wildlife and different habitats that it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
The Selous Game Reserve was established in 1922. However, in 2019 the Game Reserve was divided into two parts. The northern section was named Nyerere National Park and the southern section continued to be called the Selous Game Reserve.
The protected area has many diverse habitats including Miombo woodlands, rolling hills, savannahs, rocky outcrops, swamps, lakes and rivers. The Rufiji River is Tanzania’s longest river, and it is an important water source, playing a vital role in the ecosystem.
Today, Nyerere National Park is purely dedicated to photographic safaris. Whilst the southern Selous Game Reserve has been split-up into several hunting concessions and leased out to professional trophy-hunting companies.
When going on a safari to Nyerere National Park you can expect to see large concentrations of buffalo, hippo, wildebeest, impalas, zebra, gazelle, hartebeest, giraffe, waterbuck, kudu, crocodile and roan and sable antelopes. What’s more, the park is considered to have half of Tanzania’s elephant population within its boundaries, which makes for exceptional elephant watching.
Numerous predators can be seen along the Rufiji River, such as lions, leopards, cheetah, hyenas and jackals. It is also home to the endangered African Wild Hunting Dog and Black Rhino.
Excellent bird watching is on offer thanks to the ~440 resident bird species. Common species include the African spoonbill, white fronted bee-eater, white-headed vultures, African fish eagle, spur-winged lapwings and francolins. Rare birds include the pel’s fishing owl.
Nyerere National Park offers a variety of activities for guests to choose from, such as game drives, boat safari or a guided walk with an armed ranger.