Ruaha National Park
The largest protected area in Tanzania and East Africa, Ruaha National Park is a spectacular safari destination. Situated to the west of the city of Iringa, the park covers an expanse of 20,226 square kilometres.
It is a part of the larger Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhese ecosystem, which encompasses an area of 45,000 square kilometres. This vast ecosystem includes Kizigo Game Reserve, Muhesi Game Reserve, Mbomipa wildlife management area and Rungwa Game Reserve.
Named after the Great Ruaha River in 1964, the word Ruvaha comes from the Bantu language ‘Hehe’ (Wahehe) meaning the ‘River’.
Ruaha is more remote and much wilder than the Selous Game reserve, also in the south of the country. It is a bit more inaccessible and thus gets fewer visitors which can be very appealing for travellers wishing to get off the grid completely. A huge draw for Ruaha is the fantastic predator population, with 25% of the cheetah in East Africa, the third-largest wild dogs numbers in the world and 10% of the global lion population!
Ruaha is one of the best-kept secrets of East Africa safari.
The History of Ruaha National Park
Before the establishment of Saba Game Reserve, the land was home to the Hehe tribe under Chief Mkwawa. The Hehe defeated a German expeditionary force in 1891 and went on to resist them for a further 7 years. . Chief Mkwawa’s empire eventually fell to the Germans in 1898, when he shot himself. His head was removed and sent to Germany. Because of the fame of the chief and the resistance a specific clause was added in the Treaty of Versailles, to return the sKull to the Uhehe. Many claim that the Ruaha area still holds many of the chief’s secrets.
- 1910: Germans established the Saba Game Reserve.
- 1946: The British colonial authorities renamed Saba to Rungwa Game Reserve.
- 1964: Rungwa Game Reserve’s southern section was excised, which was then converted into Ruaha National Park.
- 1974: Southeastern portion of the Great Ruaha River was added to the park, expanding it.
- 2008: Usangu Game Reserve and some significant wetlands were incorporated into the park, making it the largest park in Tanzania as well as East Africa.
The park has a large elephant population that has continued to flourish despite the threat of poaching. Approximately 30,000 buffaloes and 20,000 zebras call the Ruaha National Park home. The park is also teeming with herbivores species such as eland, giraffe, roan antelope, spiral-horned kudu and warthogs.
Amongst the predatory species, lion, cheetah, leopard and wild dogs are most commonly sighted. The park is also an ideal location for bird enthusiasts and is home to 400 bird species. This number can increase during the wet season that is from November to April. Some great spots could include kingfishers, bee-eaters, violet crested turacos, pale-billed hornbills and racquet-tailed rollers.
Ruaha National Park Premier Attractions
✔ Historical Sites
Ruaha has a rich cultural history and there are many sites where the local tribes perform rituals. Some of these sites are Ganga La Mafunyo, Chief Mapenza’s grave at Mpululu, Mkwawa spring Lugalo village, Nyanywa, Isimialla Pillars, God’s bridge and Chahe.
✔ The Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley covers an area of around 7000 km, that extends from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in southeast Africa. It runs through the park with the escarpment in places, reaching 100m high. There is a belief that the Great Ruaha River is an extension of the Great Rift Valley. The river flows west to east through rugged gorges and open plains for 160 km, before joining the Rufiji river. Apart from the river there are many springs linked to the rift valley, that are scattered throughout the park and offer vital water to the animals.
When To Visit Ruaha National Park
An ideal time to visit the Ruaha National Park is from June to October, the dry season, during which animals from all over the park make their way to water sources and the thinning bushes provide visitors with plenty of opportunities to spot them. It is still possible to visit at any time of the year and out of season will guarantee low visitor numbers but good game viewing.
On the other hand, for bird watching, the period between November to April is brilliant and brings numerous migratory birds to the Ruaha National Park.
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