Selous Game Reserve
Selous Game reserve, the largest wildlife sanctuary lies in the south of Tanzania, stretching inland from the coas itt is bigger than Denmark. It lies south of Mikumi, covering an area of 54,600 sq. km, about 6% of Tanzania’s total area and is 4 times the size of Serengeti. The park is named after Englishman, Frederick Courtney Selous – Conservationist, hunter, explorer and author, whose adventure books on Africa became best sellers in Victorian England.
Selous contains the greatest concentration of big game left on earth. Selous Game Reserve is internationally famous for its animals. It has the world’s largest number of big game: – elephant, buffalo, rhino, sable antelope, wild dogs, hippo and lion. There are over 400 species of birdlife which include: – fish eagle, secretary bird, kingfisher, sunbird, hornbill, bill stork and hammer kop.
Selous has the finest bush landscape, unspoilt by time. Although it remains one of the least scientifically researched areas in Africa, some 1700 botanical species have been identified. In the far south, the vastness of the reserve and its general inaccessibility has turned the Selous into a magnificent refuge for animals, birds, insects and reptiles. The reserve was designated a ‘World Heritage Site’ by the United Nations in 1982 due to its unique ecological importance.
Selous game reserve is only 45 minutes away by air and 6 hours away by road from Dar Es Salaam. Unique activities include boat safaris along the Rufiji River, walking safaris with an armed ranger and game viewing in four wheel drive vehicles.