The lions in the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania are present in huge numbers; an estimated four thousand lions. They are common everywhere in the northern part of the Selous; and as luck would have it this is where almost all the tourist camps are to be found. If you plan to have a lion safari in the Selous you will not be disappointed. However, they are not so easy to spot in this reserve as they are in the open grass land of the Serengeti in the north of Tanzania. The dense vegetation is the perfect cover for the shy Selous lion to take shelter and hide from the safari vehicles. Along the mighty Rufiji River there are eleven prides of lions. To stay in a tented lodge on the Rufiji River is an amazing experience as you can hear the roar of the Selous lion over a distance of eight kilometers. As you hear the roaring coming closer and closer it can be quite frightening - which adds to the safari experience. Lions are not afraid of open fires so do not go wandering around at night. However, a closed tent is quite safe even if the whole pride decides to settle around your tent. Lions may be popular with the tourist but they are less than popular with the villages around the Selous. In a single year up to forty villagers fall prey to lions. The lions will usually attack anything from an impala to a buffalo; many of the attacks are unsuccessful. However, when they succeed they pull the victim down and bite into the throat and slowly strangle it. The leopard is a solitary animal that is largely nocturnal. They are rarely spotted by tourists and though to be a much rarer animal. This is not the case; in fact the leopard out number the lions by a large margin. As these animals are no longer killed from their fur and so they are no longer an endangered species. The leopard prefers the dense bush and thickets and is harder to spot although they often live in close proximity to humans. The Matamwe Game Post often looses chickens to the leopard. They are proficient hunters and like to eat bush buck, fish, insects, birds and monkeys are one of their favorite foods. Often they will drag the kill into the branches of a tree, and so to look out for scratches on the bark of a tree will indicate that leopards are not far away. The cheetah is a rare site in the Selous Game Reserve although there have been more sightings in recent years. It is thought that the lack of open grassland together with the high density of other predators is not well suited for this animal. The Selous Game Reserve has a high density of predators, the highest numbers of Elephant in Tanzania and is one of the last places to see the rare wild dog in large numbers. The Selous is a incredible place to go on a safari. It is not as popular as the Serengeti but it probably is a much better and quieter place to experience Africa. With the Serengeti's park fee's doubling on 1 January 2001 I can see the Selous becoming the Park to visit in East Africa. |
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