Selous Game Reserve (Nyerere National Park)

Plan Your Safari

Introduction: Africa, Untamed and Unscripted

Far from the well-traveled northern safari circuit lies a vast, raw, and utterly untamed wilderness—Selous Game Reserve, officially now part of Nyerere National Park. Spanning a staggering 50,000 square kilometers, Selous is one of the largest protected areas in Africa, dwarfing even the Serengeti. Here, the rhythm of nature beats uninterrupted—unchanged for centuries, unshackled from the tourism rush.

Named after explorer and conservationist Frederick Selous, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is where elephants thunder through thick woodlands, lions rule the floodplains, and the mighty Rufiji River breathes life into every corner of the park.

Selous is not just a safari—it’s a true African adventure.

Location and Geography: Southern Tanzania’s Crown Jewel

Selous is located in southern Tanzania, roughly 220 km southwest of Dar es Salaam, making it part of the Southern Safari Circuit—a less crowded, wilder alternative to the north.

🌍 Landscape Overview:

Vast Miombo Woodlands – Home to large herds of elephants and buffalo.
Open Savannahs and Grasslands – Hunting grounds for predators.
Swamps and Lagoons – Key water sources teeming with aquatic life.
The Rufiji River – The largest river in Tanzania, cutting through the park with oxbow lakes, sandbanks, and hippo-filled channels.

Its sheer size and varied ecosystems make it one of the most ecologically diverse parks in the world.

Wildlife in Selous: Where Nature Writes Its Own Rules

Selous is home to some of Africa’s highest concentrations of wildlife, with a reputation for raw, unfiltered nature and thrilling encounters.

🐘 1. Elephant and Buffalo Herds

Once home to over 100,000 elephants (though numbers have declined due to poaching), Selous still hosts massive elephant herds. Cape buffalo are also abundant, often seen in groups numbering in the hundreds.

🦁 2. Predators Galore

Lions are common—powerful, bold, and often seen in the open plains.
Leopards lurk in the thick forests and along riverbanks.
African wild dogs, one of the rarest and most endangered carnivores, thrive here. Selous is one of the best places in Africa to see them.
Hyenas, crocodiles, and jackals round out the carnivore cast.

🦓 3. Plains Game

The park is full of grazing species, including:

Giraffe
Zebra
Impala
Greater kudu
Waterbuck
Wildebeest

🐊 4. Aquatic and Bird Life

The Rufiji River and its network of lakes are teeming with:

Hippos
Nile crocodiles
Over 440 bird species, including fish eagles, kingfishers, herons, storks, and colorful bee-eaters

Selous offers a rich blend of land and water wildlife encounters, making every safari moment unpredictable and thrilling.

Unique Safari Activities in Selous

Unlike most parks in northern Tanzania, Selous offers a wide variety of safari styles that allow you to truly connect with the wilderness.

🛥 1. Boat Safaris on the Rufiji River

Cruise along the Rufiji River and watch elephants drink from the banks, hippos snort from the shallows, and crocodiles bask on sandbanks. This is one of the most peaceful and picturesque safari experiences in Africa.

🚶‍♂️ 2. Walking Safaris

Accompanied by an armed ranger and guide, walking safaris in Selous allow you to explore the bush on foot—observing tracks, plants, insects, and even big game at ground level. Few parks in Tanzania offer this in such depth.

🚙 3. Classic Game Drives

Open 4×4 vehicles take you deep into the heart of the reserve for traditional morning and evening game drives. The sheer size of Selous means you’ll often go hours without seeing another vehicle—a rare luxury on safari.

🌅 4. Fishing and Bush Picnics

Try your hand at fishing for tiger fish or catfish in the Rufiji or enjoy a sunset picnic on a sandbank, where the river glows with golden light and wildlife grazes in the distance.