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Ruaha Safari Pictures
buffalo herd, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Big herd of African buffalo on edge of forest, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Oxpecker on giraffe's neck, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Redbilled oxpecker perching on giraffe's neck, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Male lion heading for water, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Male lion heading towards river for a drink, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Zebra foal suckling, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Zebra foal suckling from its mother, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
elephant on dry riverbank, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Elephant on banks of dry riverbed, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Giraffe under giant baobab tree, Ruaha national park, Tanzania
Giraffe group browsing near giant baobab tree, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Elephant mother and youngster, Ruaha national park, Tanzania
Elephant mother and youngster in rocky terrain, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Tanzania redbilled hornbill, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Ruaha (or Tanzanian) redbilled hornbill (Tockus ruahae), Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Oxpeckers on back of buffalo, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Redbilled oxpeckers perching on back of African buffalo, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
elephant pair on riverbank, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Elephant pair on banks of Ruaha River with mountains in background, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Elephant mother and calf on riverbank, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Elephant mother and her calf walking along shallows of Ruaha River, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Giant Kingfisher, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Giant Kingfisher perching on branch, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Baobab tree at sunset, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Baobab tree lit by rays of setting sun, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Winter colors in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Winter colors in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Giraffe closeup, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Giraffe close-up, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
wildlife reference photos
Grant's Gazelle, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Grant's gazelle in winter vegetation, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

About Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park covers a massive 10,300 sq km (3,980 sq miles) of semi-arid bush country in central Tanzania. Although we saw only a tiny fraction of the park, our party, some of whom have travelled extensively on safari in Africa, was unanimously impressed by the park's rugged beauty, spectacular topography and diversity of vegetation.

The Great Ruaha River, which flows along the park's eastern boundary, is Ruaha's lifeblood, particularly during the dry months when the heavy flow dwindles to a scattering of irregular pools.

As would be expected in a wilderness area of this size, the wildlife is plentiful, with plains game sustaining large populations of predators, including large prides of lion, cheetah, leopard, African wild dog, and spotted hyena.

The elephant population is the largest of any Tanzanian national park, while the unusually high diversity of antelope in the park is a result of its location -- transitional to the acacia savanna of East Africa and the miombo woodland belt of Southern Africa.

Grant’s gazelle and lesser kudu occur here at the very south of their range, alongside the miombo-associated sable and roan antelope, and one of East Africa’s largest populations of greater kudu.

A similar duality is noted in the checklist of 450 birds. The likes of crested barbet – a resident of the southern bush – occur in the park alongside central Tanzanian endemics such as the Ruaha (or Tanzanian) redbilled hornbill (Tockus ruahae), the yellow-collared lovebird and ashy starling.

For those visiting Ruaha on safari, there is a fair range of accommodation options, but the park is not nearly as popular (or crowded) as Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, so there are fewer safari operators servicing the area. Upmarket safari lodges include Jongomero Tented Camp in the southwest corner of the park, Ruaha River Lodge comprising comfortable stone cottages overlooking the Ruaha River, and Tandala Camp, situated on a private conservancy outside the entrance gate.

For those on a budget, there are Tanapa (Tanzanian National Parks) campsites and self-catering bandas (bungalows) within the park. The camping area where we stayed was better equipped than usual for Tanzanian parks with clean, working ablutions and great location on the banks of the Ruaha River. See also Lion Visits our Ruaha Camp for more.

Camera Gear: Our Ruaha safari images were taken using Canon digital SLR cameras (Canon EOS 450D and Canon EOS 1D MkII), plus Canon lenses, including the Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto zoom, Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM telephoto lens, and Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS standard zoom lens.

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