Ruaha National Park

Without a doubt, Ruaha National Park is Tanzania’s best kept game viewing secret. With only a handful of camps it is far removed from the hectic Northern Safari Circuit. The park is the largest in Tanzania, at around 20,000 square kilometres. Ruaha National Park contains 10% of the world’s lion population and the third largest population of wild dogs. The park also has a sizeable populations of other predators and prey. Ruaha is a unique and rewarding destination for the safarigoers. The Great Ruaha River is the lifeblood of this massive park. The river provides respite from the hot and dry climate. The large number of animals that come to quench their thirst at the rivers during the dry season is immense. The impressive herds of elephants and buffalos attract the predators. Recently more eco conservative camp collections have set up beautiful accommodations in Ruaha. Top notch guiding, service, and experiences attract more visitors to this slice of paradise. An increase of tourism, leads to more funds for anti-poaching patrols, as well as a more positive human presence.

highlights

The Great Ruaha River & Landscape

The Great Ruaha River, from which the park gets its name is by far the most dominant geographical feature of the national park. It is also the lifeblood for the wildlife it is the most important. Ruaha has a hot, dry climate which means the animals don’t tend to stray too far from dependable water sources. This makes predicating game movements far easier particularly in the dry season. During the wet season, the landscape turns to a lush green. The rivers are flowing, trees in full bloom. A plethora of birdlife, endemic and migratory – great for bird lovers, but proving a little challenging for wildlife viewing.

During the dry season, the rivers dry up. The landscape is parched. The environment is harsh for the animals, forcing them to seek refuge under the giant baobab trees for shade. The wildlife congregates in numbers to the almost dry river beds to quench their thirst.

Wildlife

Ruaha is renowned for amazing birdlife and wildlife. The park is one of Tanzania’s birders paradise with more than 570 species. Some of the birds are migrants from within and outside Africa.

Ruaha National Park is home to the largest elephant population found in any Tanzanian national parks. With some 12,000 elephants migrating through the greater Ruaha ecosystem each year. It is also an excellent park for predators. Lions are numerous and very habituated to vehicles. The prides tend to be large, often numbering more than 20 individuals.

Cheetah can often be seen hunting on the open plains; and the park has a particularly good reputation for leopard sightings. It is one of the last major strongholds for African wild dog populations with more than 100 found here.

Some of the magnificent mammals found in Ruaha are the greater kudu (some of the most handsomely horned males you’ll come across anywhere in Africa). Lesser kudu and the elusive Sable and Roan antelopes which are in Miombo woodland. Buffalo, zebra, Defassa waterbuck, impala, bushbuck, giraffe, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, Grant’s gazelle are also found here.

Birdlife

Ruaha’s birdlife is extraordinary. Over 580 bird species sighted in the park, with an interesting mix of southern and northern species. Of particular note are large and visible populations of black-collared lovebird and ashy starlings and the crested barbet.

Water birds such as goliath herons, saddle-billed storks, white-headed plovers and the white-backed night heron are found in profusion. There are six species of both vultures and hornbills including the Tanzanian red-billed hornbill.

Raptors are also well represented; with bateleur and fish eagle the most visible large birds of prey. The localised Eleanora’s falcon is quite common in December and January. Keen bird-watchers visit Ruaha National Park from mid-November to March, when migrant birds swell the numbers.

Best time to visit

The dry season in Ruaha is from June – October, progressively getting hotter as the months go by. During the dry season, as the rivers dry up, animals tend to congregate towards the rivers to quench their thirst with the remaining little bits of water, making wildlife viewing much easier. The green season, which coincides with the rains from November – April. Ruaha turns a lush green, attracting a plethora of birds. Wildlife viewing gets harder during this time, and the weather can become quite humid.

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park

highlights

The Great Ruaha River & Landscape

Wildlife

Birdlife

Best time to visit

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