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Why is the Selous Game Reserve so special? Well, first of all its shear size; it is bigger than Denmark or Switzerland and makes up for 5% of Tanzania land. It is one of the largest Game reserves in the world and the largest in Africa. This is not because of vast stretches of desert; the Selous is an unspoiled, well watered area where human habitation is possible.

Tanzania encourages low density tourism in the Selous and it is therefore well and truly worth a visit. This is an African destination that is not different but more importantly it is as you would imagine it should be; a taste of what the early explores must have felt as they journeyed in search of the source of the Nile.

Its wildlife populations are huge despite the heavy poaching in the 1980’s. The rare wild dog can also be seen in this reserve.

Another special feature is the mighty Rufiji River. This river offers sunset game cruises; there are not many places in East Africa were this is offered. The park encompasses a wide rage of habitats, including open grasslands, woodland, swamps and is an important area for wetland plants. The United Nations declared the Selous Game Reserve a World Heritage Site in 1982.

Many guide books describe a section of the park; the northern section. This area is promoted for photographic tourism and is the most beautiful game-rich area in the whole ecosystem. The boundaries of the area are marked by the TAZARA railway to the north. The west border has the Stiegler’s Gorge and the south is boarded by the Rufiji River. The area beyond the Rufiji River is not developed for tourism; there are no lodges, nor roads and any explorer need to be fully self sufficient to go not this area.

Along the Rufiji River are the huge Borassus Palms growing up to 25 meters tall. These majestic trees thrive next to the water and will die-off in times of drought. This wide meandering river with its lakes, swamps and countless interlocking channels is one of the most important ecological wetland systems in Eastern Africa.

Fires in this area are inevitable. These fires are a source of conflict. Many people seeing them as destructive and they should be extinguished as quickly as possible; others seeing the fires as a source of regeneration. At times the reserve staff will start a ‘cold’ fire that is less destructive than latter fires when the grass becomes dry.

The Selous Game reserve is huge, wild, has exceptional landscapes and high densities of wildlife; all these factors make a safari here special and your heart will become set on returning to explore more. The Selous offers a unique opportunity to get to know the African bush in all its varied glory.

For more information on Tanzania see http://www.betheladventure.co.uk and more general information on Tanzania see http://www.tanzania-info.co.uk - responsible tourism can change lives.

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The lions in the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania are present in huge numbers; an estimated four thousand lions. They are common everywhere in the northern part of the Selous; and as luck would have it this is where almost all the tourist camps are to be found. If you plan to have a lion safari in the Selous you will not be disappointed. However, they are not so easy to spot in this reserve as they are in the open grass land of the Serengeti in the north of Tanzania. The dense vegetation is the perfect cover for the shy Selous lion to take shelter and hide from the safari vehicles.

Along the mighty Rufiji River there are eleven prides of lions. To stay in a tented lodge on the Rufiji River is an amazing experience as you can hear the roar of the Selous lion over a distance of eight kilometers. As you hear the roaring coming closer and closer it can be quite frightening - which adds to the safari experience. Lions are not afraid of open fires so do not go wandering around at night. However, a closed tent is quite safe even if the whole pride decides to settle around your tent.

Lions may be popular with the tourist but they are less than popular with the villages around the Selous. In a single year up to forty villagers fall prey to lions. The lions will usually attack anything from an impala to a buffalo; many of the attacks are unsuccessful. However, when they succeed they pull the victim down and bite into the throat and slowly strangle it.

The leopard is a solitary animal that is largely nocturnal. They are rarely spotted by tourists and though to be a much rarer animal. This is not the case; in fact the leopard out number the lions by a large margin. As these animals are no longer killed from their fur and so they are no longer an endangered species. The leopard prefers the dense bush and thickets and is harder to spot although they often live in close proximity to humans. The Matamwe Game Post often looses chickens to the leopard. They are proficient hunters and like to eat bush buck, fish, insects, birds and monkeys are one of their favorite foods. Often they will drag the kill into the branches of a tree, and so to look out for scratches on the bark of a tree will indicate that leopards are not far away.

The cheetah is a rare site in the Selous Game Reserve although there have been more sightings in recent years. It is thought that the lack of open grassland together with the high density of other predators is not well suited for this animal.

The Selous Game Reserve has a high density of predators, the highest numbers of Elephant in Tanzania and is one of the last places to see the rare wild dog in large numbers. The Selous is a incredible place to go on a safari. It is not as popular as the Serengeti but it probably is a much better and quieter place to experience Africa. With the Serengeti’s park fee’s doubling on 1 January 2001 I can see the Selous becoming the Park to visit in East Africa.

The site http://www.tanzania-info.co.uk has full details and timetables for Zanzibar Ferries, flights and Buses in Tanzania - and http://www.betheladventure.co.uk has safari information. Use responsible tourism to make a difference to the countries and peoples you visit.

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