The Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania is the world's largest game reserve - 4 times the size of Serengeti. It is located in the Rufiji River basin and includes grasslands and forests. It possesses a diverse landscape from hot volcanic springs, sporadic lakes, channels from the Great Rhaha and Rufiji rivers. The Rufiji River, with its lagoons, sandbanks and lakes and the surrounding forests and woodlands that make up the Selous create a very unique unusual safari environment.
Covering almost 50,000 square km, an area greater than Switzerland, the Selous Reserve Tanzania is one of the largest areas set aside for wildlife preservation anywhere in the world, although only a small portion in the north section is allocated for photographic safaris. The vast area contained within the reserve boundaries accounts for 5% of the land mass of Tanzania.
Wildlife
The Selous has a broad range of big game: buffalo - the largest population in Africa; Nyasaland gnu; brindled gnu; hartebeest; Greater Kudu; sable antelope; eland; reedbuck; bushbuck; waterbuck; warthog; zebras; giraffe; and wildebeest. Safaris in the Selous are famous for the elephant, hippopotamus and rhino (although now few remain) populations. Also: lion, leopard, the spotted hyena and hunting dog are in abundance; cheetah are rare; there are over 350 species of bird and reptiles such as crocodiles, various snakes and lizards. There are many elephant, lions, zebras and other wildlife in the reserve.