The remarkable fifty thousand square kilometre Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania is rightly referred to as a nature park of the superlative. The Rufuji River, along with its various tributaries, is the lifeline of Selous and it is the water that flows from the Rufiji that forms the basis of life in this fascinating region.

The origin of the Selous Game Reserve dates back to the time of the German colonial government at the beginning of the twentieth century. At that time the waters of the Rufuji and its tributaries were an important habitat for the region’s many hippos and crocodiles.

The lack of rainfall, infertile land and three kinds of tse-tse flies have made this land almost uninhabitable for Man and even the small settlements just outside the park are few and far between.

However, the large variety of species here is overwhelming and it is not only due to its enormous size but also because of its impressive variety of wildlife that the Selous Game Reserve is most certainly one of the most remarkable wildlife sanctuaries in the world.