Ruaha National Park is one of the few renowned wilderness areas in Tanzania where the rare experience of wildlife viewing is spiced up with mesmerizing scenery. The park is home to an abundance of plants and animals such as the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) that cannot be found in any other national park. Thanks to its almost untouched and unexplored ecosystem, the park offers its visitors a truly unique safari experience.
The Great Ruaha River serves as the lifeblood of the park, along with other rivers such as the Mwagusi, Jongomero and Mzombe. In the dry season, these rivers become the main source of water for wildlife. Some natural springs serve the same purpose.
Elephants fetch water during the worst of the dry season by using their front legs and trunks in the sand of dry rivers. The remaining falls along the Great Ruaha are also an important habitat for hippos, fish and crocodiles.
Ruaha is believed to have a higher concentration of elephants than any other national park in East Africa. Other magnificent mammals such as both greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan antelope are also easily spotted in the Miombo forest area. The male kuku has beautiful spiral horns, while the male sable antelope boasts impressive curved horns. The park also offers a habitat for endangered wild dogs. Other animals in the park include lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, eland, impala, spoon fox and jackal.
