At 54.600 Km² the Selous is the largest game reserve in Africa . To put it in perspective, the Selous is larger than Switzerland and half the size of the U.S. state of Ohio and is traversed by the world's greatest remaining herds buffalo, elephant, hippo and sable antelope. Although you will travel to the largest conservation area in Africa on a Selous Safari, you'll probably only experience a very small proportion of this mighty park.
Most of Selous is dedicated to private hunting concessions and scientific research. Only about 10% of the Selous is dedicated to tourism. Our tours to the the Selous normally concentrate around the northern section of the park and the Rufiji River. The Rufiji River defines the Selous experience. Navigating the network of lakes and rivers in a boat offers you an unusual view of the big game. Sandbanks crowded with huge crocodiles; carmine bee-eaters flying in crimson clouds around the exposed mud banks; and swampy islands where elephants browse.
Until recently, the reserve was only accessible by plane or by train. However, with an improvement to the road network, the area is now accessible to everyone. The concentrations of wildlife in the Selous are understandably huge. The Selous, named after a German explorer and author, boasts Tanzania's largest population of elephant – currently about 10,000 animals – as well as some of Africa’s largest numbers of buffalo, hippos, Nile crocodile and wild dogs.
Other species commonly seen are lion, bushbuck, impala, giraffe, eland, baboon, zebra and greater kudu. The Selous also contains one of the few viable populations of black rhinos in the world, with between 150 and 200 individual animals. The reserve also contains more than 350 different bird species and 2,000 different species of plants.
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