The Nyerere National Park is Africa's biggest protected wildlife area that extends 150km into Mozambique. This is the highlight of Tanzania's southern safari circuit. The Rufiji River flows through the reserve attracting great herds of Tanzania's great elephant population and allows visitors to experience the reserve by boat. It is said that this reserve hosts Africa's biggest elephant and wild dog populations, attracted to the tranquillity of the park and the water supplied by the rivers and lakes. July to October could be pin-pointed as the best time of year to visit the Nyerere National Park, as it is a classic dry season destination. The wildlife congregate at the water sources and put on a great game-viewing performance.
Nyerere National Park contains about one third of all African wild dogs, which are an endangered predator. Watching wild dogs hunt is fascinating - a luxury that guests get to experience more often than anywhere else. Fierce tiger fish and smooth slippery vandu catfish are caught in the rivers, offering keen fishermen something to look forward to. The vandu catfish is equipped with primitive lungs allowing it to cross land for short distance in an attempt to find water during the dry season. Nyerere National Park is home to some of Africa's best boating safaris, while walking and fly camping trips are also popular, making the Selous the park in Tanzania with the greatest diversity of safari activities.
Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) offers great wildlife viewing. The string of lakes along the main circuit is a good place to see unusually large groups of giraffe alongside buffalo, waterbuck, impala and plains zebra. Opportunistic, hungry lions sometimes wait nearby for animals to drink, and you might be lucky to see a daytime kill. Nyerere is a stronghold for wild dogs. These highly endangered canines patrol huge home ranges, and the best chance of seeing them is when they are denning in the area. The park also supports a big variety of antelope. Look out for common waterbuck, greater kudu and eland. The majestic sable antelope is one of the flagship animals, but as they tend to stick to thick bush, sightings are hit-and-miss.
Elephants at the Nyerere National ParkWith more than 440 species recorded, Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) is an excellent birding destination. The most conspicuous birds are attracted to the sandbanks, lagoons, islands and channels along the Rufiji River. A good way to enjoy the birdlife is on a boat safari, where you’ll see yellow-billed storks, kingfishers, lapwings and colorful bee-eaters. At dawn and dusk, flocks of African skimmers fly across the water while skimming the surface for fish. Also look out for African fish eagles and palm-nut vultures perched high in the trees. Migratory birds are present from November to April. Nyerere is a good birding destination all year. From November to April, Palearctic and intra-African migrants are present, making this the best time for bird watching. This is also the time that resident birds nest and display their colorful breeding plumage. Most camps close towards the end of the Wet season, in April, and reopen in June. For wildlife viewing, the Dry season (from June to October) is best.
Kingfisher at the Nyerere National Park
