Animals of Tanzania: The Selous, the Buffalo and the Gnu
One of the best places to see animals in Tanzania is in the
Selous Game Reserve. This huge reserve has high concentration of
animals and a low concentration of tourists. Animals such as
lion and leopard and elephant are present in huge
concentrations. This is also true of the hoofed animal; the
buffalo population stands in excess of 110,000. Waking in a
morning, in your tented camp, to witness hundreds of buffalo and
gnu coming to drink water from the Rufiji River is one reason
among many to make Tanzania you safari destination.
The female Buffalo carry horns as well as the males and often
the female horns are wider than the males, although they are
usually slimmer then the male buffalo. The digestive system of
the buffalo is the most efficient of all the herbivores allowing
the buffalos to survive on plants other grazes cannot digest.
The lion is the main enemy of the buffalo; the lion is very fond
of buffalo meat.
The buffalo have a reputation to be bad tempered and dangerous
to humans. This ferocious reputation is a little unfair as like
most animals they tend to avoid humans, unless harassed or
wounded.
The Selous wildebeest or also known as the Nyassaland gnu has a
grayish-yellowish body colour with a black beard and tail. As
its name suggest it was first found in Nyassaland [now called
Malawi] Because of disease that swept through the whole of
Africa in the early 1900's this animal was almost wiped out and
now the Selous is its last stronghold. This subspecies of the
wildebeest is clearly different from its cousins in the rest of
Africa. An interesting fact is that south of the Rufiji River
this subspecies has a white inverted chevron across its nose.
North of the river, in the tourist areas only a very small
percentage carry this marking, but they are all the same
sub-species.
The medium sized impala is probably the most graceful of all the
antelopes. They occur in small bachelor herds or in breeding
herds consisting of male and female with young. In the Mgeta
River area just before the rains start bachelor herds can be
seen up to 1,000 animals strong; a most remarkable sight.
Impalas are easily spotted in the day and are tremendous jumpers
especially if they are startled. When disturbed the males emit a
short series of snorts and then takes off in a wonderful
spectacle of leaps and bounds.
Mixed herds of impala, wildebeest, zebra and hartebeest are a
common sight; as there is safety in numbers. Other animals to be
seen are the large Kudu with their distinctive spiraled horns.
They are well disguised and will need a keen eye to spot them.
The Selous has huge herds of sable antelope and estimated 10,000
of them although they are rare in the tourist parts of this huge
reserve.
The largest of antelopes is the Eland which can grow to a
staggering 700kg and is able to jump up to two meters from a
standing position. They are gregarious creatures, moving through
the Selous in herds of up to 100 animals. The Selous Eland bulls
are known for their massive horns longer than all the other East
African Eland. The Rufiji river is the southern most limit of
the giraffe in East Africa; and as the national symbol and
therefore the giraffe cannot be hunted anywhere in Tanzania.
Wart hogs are common in the Selous and are often seen running in
lines with their tales up or kneeling on their front legs
feeding on short grass, roots or fruit. They need water daily so
tend stay close to water. Old males can grow enormous tusks with
are used as weapons against predators.
A Selous safari is the ideal place to experience Africa and to
see animals in huge numbers. The Northern areas contain the few
tourist lodges of the reserve and to choose a camp close to the
Rufiji River will be a safari experience unsurpassed anywhere in
Africa.