Selous Game Reserve

Selous Game Reserve is a vast protected area in the Lindi Region that encompasses grasslands, wetlands, and woodlands where numerous animal species live together. The Rufiji River flows through the landscape, creating water sources that sustain elephants, zebras, giraffes, and countless other creatures throughout the seasons.

German colonial authorities set up protection for this area in 1896, then transformed it into a hunting reserve in 1905 named after explorer and hunter Frederick Selous. Over time it evolved into a wildlife sanctuary focused on conservation rather than sport hunting.

Indigenous communities have lived alongside this land for generations, and their presence shapes how people view wildlife conservation today. The reserve reflects ongoing conversations between protecting nature and respecting traditional ways of living.

You reach this reserve by small aircraft from Dar es Salaam, with flights connecting to airstrips within the area. Accommodations range from safari lodges to tent camps along the river, and visiting during drier months makes spotting animals easier.

The reserve once held one of Africa's largest elephant populations, numbering in the hundreds of thousands during the 1970s before declining sharply. These changes reveal how vulnerable wildlife numbers can be and why ongoing conservation efforts matter.