Ruaha National Park

ruaha

Ruaha National Park is one of Tanzania’s most famous wilderness area because of the exceptional game viewing which is spiced up by the fascinating landscape. The park is rich in plants and animals such as Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus Strepsiceros) which cannot be seen in any other national park. The park boasts of an almost untouched and unexplored ecosystem, making visitors’ safari experience unique.

The Great Ruaha River as other rivers like Mwagusi, Jongomero, and Mzombe save as the lifeline of the park. During the dry season, these rivers become mostly the primary source of water for wildlife. Few natural springs are preserving the same purpose.

In the pick of the dry season, elephants obtain water from dry sand rivers using their front feet and trunks. The remaining waterfalls along the Great Ruaha River are also critical habitat for hippopotamus, fish, and crocodiles.

CLIMATE

Ruaha National Park has a bimodal pattern of the rainforest; the short rainfall season begins November to February, while the long season is between March and April. The annual mean rainfall ranges between 500mm-800mm with the yearly average temperature of about 28c. The park experiences its dry season between June and October when the temperature at Msembe headquarter reaches 35c.

PARK HISTORY

The park history dates back to 1910 when it was gazetted Saba Game Reserve by Germany, then the name was changed by British to Rungwa Game reserve in 1946. In 1964 the southern portion of the game was gazetted as Ruaha National Park, and in 1974 a small section of South Eastern part of the Great Ruaha River was incorporated into the park. The name “Ruaha” originates from the Hehe word “Ruvaha,” which means “river.” Ruaha National Park is part of Rungwa-Kizigo –Muhesi ecosystem which covers more than 45000km2. In 2008, Usangu Game Reserve and other essential wetlands in Usangu Basin had been annexed into the park, making it the largest park in Tanzania and East Africa with an area of about 20226km2.