Selous Game Reserve - Kilisa Tours

If you're looking for wild, untouched safari country, Selous Game Reserve (now officially called Nyerere National Park) is one of Africa's largest and most varied wildlife areas. It covers over 50,000 square kilometers, it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it's four times the size of the Serengeti. It offers some of the most authentic and uncrowded safaris in Tanzania.

Selous is on Tanzania's southern safari circuit and spreads over more than 54,600 square kilometers. It is one of the largest protected areas in Africa where no people live.

The landscape is very varied: miombo woodland, open grassland, riverside forest, swamps and rocky outcrops, all cut through by the Rufiji River, the park's main source of water. There are also volcanic hot springs.

Selous holds 33% of the world's wild dog population, and it has the largest number of elephants in Tanzania. In the dry season, around 64,000 elephants move between the Selous Game Reserve and Mozambique's Niassa Game Reserve, which makes this one of the largest natural cross-border ecosystems in Africa.

Lions, giraffes, cheetahs, buffaloes, bushbucks, impalas, elands, zebras, hippos and Nile crocodiles are also easy to see in Selous.

The birdlife is rich too, with more than 440 bird species recorded in the reserve. From November to April, migrant birds arrive from Europe and North Africa.

Selous offers a wider range of safari activities than most parks in Africa: boat safaris as well as regular game drives, walking safaris and fly camping trips.

Best Time to Visit

You can visit Selous all year, and each season offers something different:

Dry Season (June to October): The best time for game viewing, as animals gather around water. With fewer mosquitoes and clear, sunny skies, it's a comfortable time to travel.
Wet Season (November to May): The land is green, the birdwatching is excellent and there are fewer visitors. Some roads may be closed because of heavy rain.

Activities To Do

Here are some of the activities you can do in Selous Game Reserve:

Game drives
Walking safaris
Boat safaris
Aerial safaris
Horseback safaris
Fly camping
Fishing
Bush dinners

What to See

Selous has one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, including many of the animals people most want to see on safari.

1. The Big Five & Large Mammals

Lions – One of the largest lion populations in Tanzania.
Leopards – Often seen in the woodland.
Elephants – Selous was once home to over 100,000 elephants. Despite past poaching, it still has a large population.
Buffaloes – Big herds roam the floodplains and woodland.
Rhinos – Black rhinos are rare, but some still live in protected parts of the reserve.

2. The Rufiji River & Water-Based Wildlife

Hippos & Crocodiles – The Rufiji River is full of hippos and huge Nile crocodiles.
Waterbirds – The wetlands draw African fish eagles, storks, kingfishers and herons.

3. Rare & Unique Species

African Wild Dogs – Selous is one of the best places in Africa to see these endangered predators.
Giraffes, Zebras & Antelopes – Including the rare sable antelope, greater kudu and puku.