The Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest faunal
reserves of the world, located in the south of Tanzania. It was named after Englishman
Sir Frederick Selous, a famous big game hunter and early conservationist, who
died at Beho Beho in this territory in 1917 while fighting against the
Germans during World War I. Scottish explorer
and cartographer Keith Johnston also died at Beho Beho in 1879 while leading a
RSGS expedition to the Great Lakes of Africa with Joseph Thomson. The Selous
was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to the diversity of its wildlife and
undisturbed nature.
The reserve covers a total area of
54,600 km2 (21,100 sq mi) and has
additional buffer zones. Within the reserve no permanent human habitation or
permanent structures are permitted. All (human) entry and exit is carefully
controlled by the Wildlife Division of the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural
Resources and Tourism. Some of the typical animals of the savanna (for example African bush elephants, black rhinos, hippopotamus, Masai lions, East African wild dogs, cheetahs, Cape buffaloes, Masai giraffes, Plains zebras, and crocodiles) can be found in this park in larger numbers
than in any other African game reserve or national park.
History
The area was first designated a protected area in 1896
by the German Governor Hermann von Wissmann and became a hunting reserve in
1905.
Description
Most of the reserve remains set aside
for game hunting through a number of privately leased hunting concessions, but
a section of the northern park along the Rufiji
River has been
designated a photographic zone and is a popular tourist destination. There are
several high end lodges and camps mainly situated along the river and lake
systems in this area. Rather difficult road access means most visitors arrive
by small aircraft from Dar es Salaam,
though train access is also possible.
Interesting places in the park include
the Rufiji River, which flows into the Indian
Ocean opposite Mafia
Island and the
Stiegler Gorge, a canyon of 100 metres depth and 100 metres width. Habitats
include grassland, typical Acacia savanna, wetlands and
extensive Miombo woodlands. Although total wildlife populations are
high, the reserve is large and densities of animals are lower than in the
more regularly visited northern tourist circuit of Tanzania.
Walking safaris are permitted in the Selous, and boat trips on the
Rufiji are a popular activity. A boundary change to allow the use of uranium deposits has been approved. The approval for
the boundary change was given by the UNESCO and seriously criticized by environmentalists and
organizations e.g., Uranium-Network and Rainforest Rescue.
In 1976, the Selous Game Reserve contained about
109,000 elephants, then the largest in the world. By 2013, the numbers had
dropped to about 13,000 - including a 66% drop from 2009 to 2013. Sources
blame corrupt politicians, officials and businessmen who help poachers.