Ruaha National Park in Tanzania

Ruaha National Park is second only to Katavi National Park in its aura of untrammeled wilderness, but far more accessible. Ruaha protects a vast tract of the rugged, semi-arid bush country that is characteristic of central Tanzania. Its lifeblood is the Great Ruaha River, which is a raging torrent during the height of the rains, but dwindles thereafter to a scattering of precious pools.

Ruaha National Park has a fine network of game-viewing roads following the Great Ruaha River and its seasonal tributaries. Ruaha is famous for its numerous lion prides that lord over the savannah. Other predators include cheetah that stalk the open grassland and the leopard that lurk in tangled riverine thickets. This impressive array of large predators is boosted by both striped and spotted hyena, as well as several conspicuous packs of the highly endangered African wild dog.

Ruaha also has an unusually high diversity of antelope as a consequence of its location, which is transitional to the acacia savannah of East Africa and the miombo woodland belt of Southern Africa. Grant’s gazelle and lesser kudu occur here at the very south of their range, alongside the greater kudu, sable and roan antelope, a similar duality is noted in the spectacular birdlife.

Ruaha National Park is an essential part of the Southern safari circuit with Selous Game Reserve and Katavi National Park in the South West.