Picture by Ruaha Guide
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. |
| Picture by sun safaris |
PARK 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
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.
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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
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.
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| Tanzania Tourist attractions |
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.
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