There are so many reasons why the Selous is remarkable. With an area of 55,000
sq km, or 5% of Tanzania's land surface, the Selous Game Reserve is one of the
largest protected areas of the world. To give you an indication of how large it
is, it is larger than Switzerland or Denmark and is uninhabited and little
touched by human interference. The wildlife is spectacular and it houses the
largest mammal populations in Africa. Nowhere else can you make boat safaris through
more spectacular wildlife concentrations. Visitors are also permitted to take
walking safaris with an armed ranger, which is not possible in Tanzanian
National Parks.
Outstanding features include
Rufiji, Beho Beho and Ruaha River. These provide the eco system with the much
needed water and also contribute to the marshy conditions found within the
Reserve. The Rufiji River splits the eco-system into two distinct parts.
Stiegler's Gorge which is 100, deep and 100m wide is a magnificent natural
feature with a rickety and gut wrenching cable car that ferries safari vehicles
across the the river. This is not for the feint hearted.
The reserve is home to over half of Tanzania's
elephant population, as well as significant numbers of buffalo, wild dog and
hippo, as well as lion, leopard and plenty of lesser game. This is a bird
lover's paradise with over 350 species of bird. To give you an indication of the
numbers - 120 000 buffalo, 150 000 wildebeest, 50 000 zebra, an estimated half
the African population of wild dog, about 4 000 and 50 000 impala. This is only
seen by about 2000 visitors per year, which shows that this is untouched Africa
as it was hundreds of years ago. |
