The reserve stretches
for 55,000 sq kilometers. It is Africa's
largest game reserve and a world heritage
site. To give you a scale, it is larger
than Switzerland and almost four times
the size of the Serengeti, yet still
un-spoilt my mass tourism.
Most of the area is covered by miombo
woodland, interspersed with grass
plains, wetlands and forest. Perhaps
the most alluring aspect of Selous
is the ability to explore the reserve
by boat. Just imagine winding your
way through channels and swamps where
elephants bathe, hippos snort and
crocodiles slip silently away.
Selous contains about one third of
all the wild dogs in the world. Their
need to roam vast areas and their
formidable hunting skills has caused
many to be shot, but here they have
boundless woodlands and savannahs
in which to roam.
Along the Rufiji River, an array
of grazing antelopes, crocodiles and
hippos are commonly seen as well as
black and white colobus monkeys in
the riverine forests. During the dry
season from June to October, the concentration
of animals along the river is astonishing.
Linked to the Rufiji is Lake Tagalala
where waterbuck, reedbuck and bushbuck
gather at the water’s edge.
Magnificent sickle-horned sable and
curly-horned greater kudu tend to
keep to the longer grass and wooded
shrubby areas.
In the dry season an ancient migration
of elephants takes place between 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.
If angling is your passion there
are endless possibilities for landing
a tiger or cat fish.
The hot springs at Beho Beho are
wonderful to soak away dust. It is
in this area that Captain F C Selous
is buried, the British soldier and
naturalist from which the name Selous
comes.
Last but not least, as Selous is
a Game Reserve and not a National
Park it is possible to experience
this environment on foot. A walking
safari is we think one of the most
exciting and fulfilling ways to explore.
On foot you can reach areas not accessible
by road or river, with stunning views
of Selous not to mention the animals.The
animals tend to congregate around
the Rufiji River between July and
November and again January to March,
but Selous is a beautiful tranquil
place to visit year round. |
