SELOUS GAME RESERVE
Frederick Courtenay Selous (1851-1917), after whom the world's largest game reserve is named,
epitomized the British colonial gentleman.
The Rufiji is a huge network of branching rivers and lakes
and other species. When the British established the Game Department in 1922, they named
the Selous Game Reserve in his honour. It has grown from lands originally set aside by Germans
in 1905 to cover 22,000 square miles of Tanzania, and today it preserves game
for both photographic and traditional safaris. One can visit Stieglers Gorge
(100 metres deep and 100 metres wide), or the Beho Beho hot springs.
Other activities include bird watching; photography; walking safaris; and fishing Tiger Fish and Vandu
(in the rivers of the Kilombero Game Controlled Area to the west of the reserve).
The Selous is four times the size of the Serengeti and possesses a diverse landscape from hot
volcanic springs, sporadic lakes, channels from the Great Ruaha and Rufiji rivers. Walking is permitted
(with an armed ranger) which with over 350 species of bird and 2,000 species of plants to see
makes this the most heavenly sanctuary to explore.
There are elephant, hippopotamus and rhino (although few now remain).
The park has a broad range of game: buffalo - the largest population in Africa; Nyasaland gnu;
hartebeest; greater kudu; sable antelope; eland; reedbuck; bushbuck; waterbuck;
warthog; zebra; giraffe and wildebeest. Also lion, leopard and the spotted hyena are in abundance;
cheetah are rare; reptiles include crocodiles and various snakes and lizards.
This reserve contains about one third of all the wild dogs (often called painted dogs), in the world.
In the dry season an ancient migration of elephants takes place between the Selous and
Mozambique's Niassa Game Reserves. This is one of the largest natural trans-boundary eco-systems
in Africa and at the last consensus it was estimated that 64,400 elephants roam the two parks,
with 84% on the Tanzanian side.
SELOUS SEASONS
Dry Season: The dry season sets in during June to mid November and is the best time for game viewing along the rivers and lakes.
Elephants come out of the bush at that time and predators are more commonly seen.
December to February is good for game viewing but can be rather hot and humid.
Rainy Season: mid November to mid December and March to May are wonderful for birdlife ad lush scenery but many roads become impassable after heavy rains.
Most of the camps in southern Selous are closed during April and May.
