Selous Safari Camp is closed from mid March to the end of June because of the rainy season. To enquire about a safari there during the rest of the year, please send a tailor-made enquiry form to us and we will be delighted to assist.



As the season draws to a close the weather patterns are changing. November and December proved much drier than
usual, we have had heavy storms most afternoons since the middle of February. Although traditionally not the easiest
time of year to see game, even the lush green bush has not prevented regular sightings of the more popular wild dogs
and lions.



The rain in the west of Tanzania has made its way down from the Usangu flood plain, through Ruaha National Park
and down to the Selous where it connects with the Kilombero River and becomes the mighty Rufiji River, the confluence

is best seen from the air, as two of the life veins of Tanzania collide, the Rufiji is transformed into a rich chocolate
swirling river, that twists and turns its final passage to the ocean. The essential ingredient of life anywhere, this, the largest
river in East Africa has to support a multitude of wildlife, including some of the largest populations of Buffalo, Elephant,
Lions, Wild dogs, Hippos and Crocodiles in Africa.
One of the many highlights this season was the discovery of the Malagasy (Humblots) heron, which was sighted on bird
island on the Nzerakera Lake. This highly endangered bird was only found on Madagascar and the Comoros islands
until it turned up here in the Selous, this caused quite a stir in the birding community as this was not only a first for Tanzania
but for AFRICA. Some birders took big detours in their travels to come and see this very special bird.
One morning while our tent stewards were making coffee, all of the Nzerakera pride walked straight past the kitchen
and into the camp, shortly after this they moved through out and into the area were we conduct our walking safaris. The
walkers after hearing the lions roaring moved to see what was going on. (The lion can roar but cannot purr, unlike
smaller cats, their throat bones aren’t solid, they are connected by an elastic ligament which allows their larynx to expand
and vibrate. They roar to communicate not to intimidate prey.) The guests were lucky enough to witness a lioness
chasing a giraffe, close enough to see and far enough away to feel comfortable. The giraffe had a lucky escape and the
walkers a sighting of a lifetime.



The hyenas are denning close to our camp, their eerily human sounding laugh and their whoops can be heard most evenings.
The laugh is really a signal of submissiveness to the clan superiors and they whoop to communicate over long
distances. They are seen in the evenings cooling themselves in the soft sand, preparing for the night ahead.




Many of the plants are coming into fruit, in particular the famous Marula tree which can produce up to 70,000 fruit
from one tree in a year. The fallen fruit which is decaying is believed by some to make the baboons and elephants
drunk! Although it takes 6kg of the decaying fruit to equal the alcohol content of one can of beer, it is unlikely that the
baboons would manage to consume enough, elephants on the other hand can eat 250kg of vegetation a day, so it is possible
that they might perform some erratic behavior!