Selous: Tanzania's Secret Eden

by Leigh Kemp, 4 April 2008

As our plane banked over the shimmering waters of the Rufiji River, the vast bush stretched unbroken to the horizon. Below me I saw giraffe, elephants, zebra and wildebeest and I was gripped by a fervent sense of anticipation.

Flying into a Lifelong Dream

After many years of dreaming about it, I was finally experiencing the enchantment of the Selous Game Reserve.

Unlike the prominent names of the North, the Selous Reserve in southern Tanzania is relatively unknown among safari travellers. Traditionally, and still to a degree, the haunt of trophy hunters, the reserve is, however, increasingly opening up to photographic tourism.

As our aircraft taxied down the runway, I thought of a book I'd read many years ago titled, Secret Eden. Written in the late 1970s, it was about the Selous Game Reserve and page after page spoke of the immense tracts of untouched wilderness packed with great numbers of game.

I recalled a telling passage: "... although virtually unknown it is the world's greatest game reserve. Twenty-one thousand miles of plain, forest, lake and mountain are the home to more than a million creatures including the largest African elephant population on earth and the continent's biggest concentration of crocodile, hippo, wild dog and buffalo”.

The book continues: "All human settlement is banned so that the Selous Game Reserve is indeed a Garden of Eden where no species is endangered, where ecological problems are unknown and where nature remains in the balance”.

However, since the book's publication much has changed, not only in the region but in Africa in general. The elephant population was gravely affected by rampant poaching in the 1980s and 1990s, as were many other species. Recently, however, more vigilant protection of the wildlife has resulted in a stabilisation of the numbers.

Indeed, on our drive from the airstrip to the lodge, we saw numerous animals in a seemingly pristine environment and it was hard to imagine anything else but a wilderness that has been free of man's interference for centuries.

Largest in the World

There are two reserves that lay claim to 'the largest reserve' in Africa title, the Selous and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana. Both are more than 50 000km squared in size and, interestingly, both are relatively under-developed and under threat from possible mining activity - tanzanite in the Selous and diamonds in the Central Kalahari.

The 'largest reserve in Africa' debate will continue to rage on for centuries to come, but what should be taken into account is that 50 000km squared is larger than many countries around the world and to be standing in a wilderness area this huge was, not only awe-inspiring, but quite intimidating.

Today's Selous Game Reserve is divided into regions - the northern region (along the Rufiji River) is used for photographic tourism, whereas the central and southern parts remain hunting areas.

Rumours of War

The Selous Reserve is named after the legendary hunter and adventurer, Frederick Courteney Selous. Selous spent the last years of his life fighting the Germans during World War One in East Africa - much of this fighting took place in the area where the Selous now stands.

In fact, Selous was killed by a sniper's bullet and his body is buried at the spot where he died ... in what is today part of the reserve.

While visiting Selous, it was on the top of my 'to do' list to visit the grave of the man who gave the reserve its name. The grave lies in the Beho Beho region of the reserve, and while I was there, I felt comforted in the knowledge that the man, himself, would be content with how the region has been preserved.

I also discovered, to my great excitement, that Selous' grave and a collection of empty rifle cartridges could be viewed at the lodge where we were based. They are the only reminders that the area hasn't always been the unspoiled wilderness it is today.

Selous lived a life of adventure in southern Africa before returning to England. At the outbreak of World War One and at the age of 64, he joined the army and headed to East Africa to fight the Germans - the colonial masters of the region at time.

It was under the German occupation that the area was proclaimed a reserve - one of the first in Africa. It was renamed after Selous in the 1920s. Today, the Selous Game Reserve still pulses to his adventurous spirit and is one of the few parks left in Africa where one can still feel as if nobody else has been there before them.

World Heritage Site

Due to its natural diversity and untouched state, the Selous Game Reserve was proclaimed a World Heritage Site in 1988 and continues to live up to its esteemed status.

During the trip, a member of our travelling party commented that the bird and animal calls sounded louder and more pronounced in the Selous than in any other place in Africa - a fact that I can unquestionably attest to and which reinforced in my mind, what an amazing place the Selous is.

Despite the threat of mining endeavours, the future of the Selous Game Reserve is secure. Plans for additional safari lodges to be built at the reserve are currently underway, thereby ensuring the survival of this wondrous area for future generations to enjoy.

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