Selous Game Reserve

Selous Game Reserve was named for Captain Frederick Selous, a British conservationist, explorer and hunter who wrote a book about his travels and the region. Captain Selous was President Theodore Roosevelt's escort on a trip in 1909, he was killed during WW I by a German sniper and buried overlooking the Beho Beho River.

Selous is the largest game reserve in Africa, established in 1922, it covers 5% of Tanzania's total area. The southern area is a forbidden area that is undeveloped heavily forested and contains a series of steep cliffs. Travelers are limited to the area north of the Rufiji River. This area of the Selous Game Reserve has large open grassland, woodlands, rivers, hills and plains. The best time to visit is July through October. The Rufiji River bisects the Selous Game Reserve and has the largest catchment area of any river in East Africa. The river is an important feature of the reserve providing the opportunity to watch the diverse water-based wildlife. A broad range of game can be found including elephants, hippos and rhinos as well as buffalo, antelope, giraffe, warthog, wildebeest, lion, leopard and cheetah. The diversity of bird life in Selous includes over 350 recorded species.

Steigler's Gorge is another impressive part of Selous Game Reserve. It was named for a German explorer who was killed by an elephant in 1907. A cable car spans Stiegler's Gorge for a better view of the rushing waters.