RUAHA NATIONAL PARK

Wildlife in Ruaha is concentrated along the great Ruaha River that is the park’s lifeblood, becoming a flooded torrent after the rains, dwindling to a few precious pools of water, surrounded by a sweep of sand in the dry season. Waterbuck, impala and the world’s most southerly Grant’s gazelle risk their lives for a sip of water – the shores of the Ruaha are a permanent hunting ground for lion, leopard, hyaena and African wild dog. Ruaha’s is home to 8,000 elephant, recovering strongly after the ivory poaching on the 1980’s and are the largest population in East Africa.

Ruaha is the only protected area in which the flora and fauna of eastern and southern Africa overlap, which leads to fascinating combinations of wildlife – both greater and lesser kudu live here, as do sable and roan antelopes.

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