Nyerere (Selous) National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is the author of the Bradt guidebook to Tanzania.

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.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeAbundant

HippoAbundant

BuffaloCommon

ZebraCommon

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardRare

CheetahNone

HyenaCommon

Wild DogOccasional

Wildlife Highlights

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.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The Dry season, from June to October, is the best time for wildlife viewing in the park. Wildlife is easier to spot at this time because vegetation is thinner and animals gather around the Rufiji River and the lakes. Roads become impassable after heavy rain, and most camps close toward the end of the Wet season, in April, and reopen at the beginning of June. The best chance to see wild dogs is during their denning season, from June to August.