Ruaha national park is one of the few
Tanzania’s famous wilderness area where one can have a rare experience
of game viewing spiced up by the fascinating landscape. The park is rich
of plants and animals such as Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
which can not be found in any other national park. The park boasts of
her almost untouched and unexplored ecosystem, making visitors’ safari
experience very unique.
The
Great Ruaha River as other rivers like Mwagusi, Jongomero and Mzombe
save as the life line of the park. During dry season, these rivers
become mostly the main source of water for wildlife. There are few
natural springs saving the same purpose.
In
the pick of dry season, elephants obtain water from dry sand rivers
using their front feet and trunks. The remaining water falls along the
Great Ruaha River are also important habitat for hippopotamus, fish and
crocodiles.
CLIMATE
Ruaha
National Park has a bimodal pattern of rain forest; 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 average annual temperature of about 280c. The park experiences
its dry season between June and October when the temperature at Msembe
headquarter reaches 350c.
PARK HISTORY
The
park history dates back to 1910 when it was gazetted Saba Game Reserve
by the Germany then the name was changed by British to Rungwa Game
reseve 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
important wetlands in Usangu basin have been annexed into the park,
making it the largest park in Tanzania and East Africa with an area of
about 20226km2.
PARKS SIGNIFICANCE
Ruaha
National Park has a high diversity of plants and animals including
elephants, buffalos, antelopes and some of rare and endangered species
like wild dogs. The park serves as water shade both for wildlife and
human being. This makes it to be economically significant as it supports
agricultural activities down stream and contributes to hydro- electric
power (HEP) for the country at Mtera and Kidatu dams.
TOURISM ATTRACTIONS
Birds
Birds
The
park is one of the Tanzania birds’ paradise with more than 571species
and some of them are known to be migrants from within and outside
Africa. Migrating species from Europe, Asia, Australian rim and
Madagascar have been recorded in the park. Species of interest in the
park include Ruaha red-billed hornbill (Tokus ruahae) which is dominant
in the area. The recently annexed wetland, the Usangu basin is one of
the country’s important bird area (IBA) as recognized by Birdlife
International. Though birds can be seen all the year around, the best
time for bird watching is during the wet season.
Animals
Ruaha
is believed to have high concentration of elephants than any national
park in East Africa. It is also a place where, magnificent mammals like
Kudu (both Greater and Lesser), Sable and Roan antelopes can easily be
spotted in Miombo woodland. The male Kudu have beautiful spiraled horns
while male Sable antelope have impressive curved horns. The park is also
a habitat for endangered wild dogs. Other animals in the park include
lions, leopards, cheetah, giraffes, zebras, elands, impala, bat eared
foxes and Jackals.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Apart
from large animals, the park also harbors a number of reptiles and
amphibians such as crocodiles, poisonous and non-poisonous snakes,
monitor lizards, agama lizards and frogs. The Great Ruaha and Mzombe
rivers are presumably the most preferred habitat for crocodiles.
Vegetation
Vegetation
The
park is characterized by semi-arid type of vegetation, baobab trees,
Acacia and other species. There are over 1650 plant species that have
been identified. The park is the transitional point of two vegetation
zones, the Zambezian (characterized by Miombo vegetation) and Sudanian
(characterized by Acacia vegetation).
Historical and cultural sites
There
are several historical and cultural sites in the park which offer a
visitor a chance to explore the Southern Tanzanian tribes. The early
trade routes used by the Arab caravan crossed here. In 1830 these
coastal traders expanded their routes northward, and in year 1857 to
1858 other European explorers such as Burton and Speke used these routes
too. Chief Mkwawa used the same routes to visit his chiefdoms in Sangu
and Gogo.
The park area
often hailed as the land of the brave Chief Mkwawa, the Chief of the
hehe people who resisted against the German attack in the late 19th
century. The fierce and successful battle tactics against the German
invasion made the Hehe tribe famous in the Southern highland of the then
Tanganyika (Tanzania). The Hehe tribe under the leadership of chief
Mkwawa was dominant around the Ruaha area. Some of the outcrops in the
area are known as hiding places of chief Mkwawa who went into hiding
after the fall of his empire (kalenga) to the German in 1894.
In brief, it is believed that, this ancient land (Ruaha National Park) holds many secrets of chief Mkwawa.
Some
of the cultural sites that were used for rituals are “Ganga la
Mafunyo”, Nyanywa and Chahe, Painting rock at Nyanywa, the “Gogo” chief
“Mapenza” grave at Mpululu and “Mkwawa” spring area believed to be used
by Chief Mkwawa. Other historical sites near the park include Isimila
pillars near Iringa town, Kalenga, Mlambalasi, Lugalo and God’s bridge
just to mention a few.
Physical feature
Ruaha
National Park has a wide range of physical features from the Great Rift
Valley, river systems, natural springs, wetlands, hot water springs,
and kopjes to the beautiful rolling hills and mountains.
Rivers
The
river systems and watershed are of economical, social and ecological
significance for the park itself and country at large. Main rivers
include the Great Ruaha, Mzombe, Mdonya, Mwagusi and Jongomero.
Rift valley
The
Great Rift Valley crosses the park. The escarpment wall along the
western valley side is about 50-100m high in the north-eastern parts,
increasing in height to the southwest. It is considered that, the valley
of the Great Ruaha River is an extension of the Great Rift Valley. The
Great Ruaha River flows for 160km long along the entire eastern boundary
through rugged gorges and open plains.
Natural springs
They
occur throughout the park and they are associated with the base of the
Western Rift Valley escarpment, most notably Mkwawa, Mwayembe, Makinde
and Majimoto springs. These are dry season refugees for wildlife and
when most of the rivers get dry.
Undulating landscape
The
park has undulating land and hills including kilimamatonge, Nyamasombe,
Nyanywa, Chariwindwi, Igawira, Mwayiui, Kibiriti, Magangwe, Ndetamburwa
and Isukanvyiola. These act as kopjes creating good habitat for animals
such as klipspringer which normally can be seen in some of these hills.
TOURISM ACTIVITIES
Tourism
activities in the park include Game viewing, long and short wilderness
walking safari, bird watching, picnic, bush meals (break-fast, lunch,
dinner) in the untouched bushes.
Best time to see the wildlife
Best time to see the wildlife
Best time to see predators and large mammals is during the dry season (mid May-December).
The
wet season (January –April) is best for bird watching, lush scenery and
wildflowers. The male Greater kudu is most visible in June which is
their breeding season.
How to get there
By air
By air
There
are both scheduled and chartered flights into the park mainly from
Arusha, Dodoma, Kigoma and Dar-es-salaam. Park’s airstrips are located
at Msembe and Jongomero
By road
It is about 130km drive from Iringa town and 625km from Dar-es-salaam city.
The road into the park is passable throughout the year.
The road into the park is passable throughout the year.
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