Nyerere National Park is the new national park established in 2019, named after the country’s first president. It is a part of what is known as Selous Game Reserve. Named officially in 1922 after an English explorer, Captain Frederick Courtney Selous, a legendary 19th century naturalist, explorer and hunter, the reserve was his final resting place when he died there in combat with the Germans during the First World War just below Sugar Mountain in the Beho Beho hills. A small plaque marks the grave. In 1982 it was officially declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
It is the largest National Park in Africa covers an area of 30,893 km² (11,928 sq miles) offers an amazing introduction to unspoilt Africa. It is Located in southern Tanzania and far from the madding crowds, it is one of our favourite wildlife viewing areas in Tanzania.
With its largest wilderness area in Africa, Nyerere National park has relatively undisturbed ecological and biological processes, including diverse range of wildlife with significant predator and prey relationship. It is really a hidden gem! The Rufiji River, swamps and the lakes are the lifeblood of a park that hosts some wonderful game, including both east and southern African wildlife, both resident and migratory, the birds life here is also phenomenal with over 450 known species of birds, which make it a key to destination on a southern Tanzania safari. Big prides of lions, good number of leopards. The park is home to over 50% of the remaining endangered African wild dog, also it hosts good population of elephant, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, eland, kudu, sable antelope, wildebeest, zebra, baboon, colobus and velvet monkeys, and many more animals.
What to see and Do
Nyerere National Park has the largest number of elephants out of all the reserved wildlife areas in the country. The park offers a variety of environments ranging from hot volcanic springs, dense thickets, and open wooded grasslands. This diversity is also home a broad range of game, including buffalo, gnu, hartebeest, Greater kudu, sable, warthog and zebra. Also lion, hippo, spotted hyena and black rhino are spotted, while African wild dog and cheetah are sometimes seen. Nyerere National Park also boasts over 350 species of bird and reptiles such as crocodiles and various snakes and lizards. Walking is permitted (with an armed ranger). Nyerere National Park is one of the more exclusive areas in Tanzania. Its size and location afford privacy and seclusion from the masses of tourists associated with the more well-known parks such as Ngorongoro and Serengeti.
