All 4 in 3 days here: ~70%
Selous Game Reserve
🇹🇿 Tanzania
East Africa, Tanzania 1544 spp. recorded
Selous Game Reserve is a wild tropical savanna located in southeastern Tanzania, featuring vast grassy plains, open woodlands, and winding river channels. Unlike fenced parks, this remote refuge preserves a raw wilderness where seasonal waterways dictate the rhythm of the bush.
-8.611° S 38.000° E
🦜 Nature
189 Species sighted
989 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Sep Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
+ 1507 more species with insufficient data
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Selous Game Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
3.7Jan
4.8Feb
1.1Mar
1.3Apr
—
No data
May5.2Jun
3.4Jul
0.7Aug
14Sep
2.8Oct
1.3Nov
5.4Dec
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
5.0
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 923
🐒 Mammals 273
🦎 Reptiles 237
🐸 Amphibians 111
1544 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
83 Threatened 67 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
3.9
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
55% 📊
Coverage (185 species at ≥5% of 1544 in the inventory)
12% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (9 mammal, 2 bird, 1 reptile)
54% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
134 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
27 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
21 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
5.0
Climate Pleasant High
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism Low High
Trails Easy High
World Heritage Yes Bonus
What visitors say
At this point we were unsure how likely predator sightings would be - on one hand thinking we'd be lucky to spy a glimpse of a lion from half a mile away, on the other hand hoping we'd be a few metres away from leopards snoozing in trees.
We also saw a Masai giraffe, Nassau wildebeest calves, warthogs, impala, hippos, crocodiles, black-striped jackals, spotted hyenas, and a buffalo bull.
Left camp around 8 after our shot of Johnnie Walker, maybe 15 minutes of driving later a lone buffalo bull was spotted.
We saw other animals, too, including baby crocodiles.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Selous Game Reserve?
1,544 species
Selous Game Reserve has 1,544 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Nile Crocodile (about 60%), East African Giraffe (about 60%), Common Hippopotamus (about 60%), Impala (about 60%) and Vervet Monkey (about 60%). Among birds, the most-seen is African Fish-Eagle (about 60%).
When is the best time to visit Selous Game Reserve for wildlife?
June and December
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 40% in July.
Can you see an African Bush Elephant in Selous Game Reserve?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report an African Bush Elephant sighting in Selous Game Reserve on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is September and December (about 70%).
Can you see a Nile Crocodile in Selous Game Reserve?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Nile Crocodile sighting in Selous Game Reserve on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February, June and December (about 70%).
Can you see a Common Hippopotamus in Selous Game Reserve?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hippopotamus sighting in Selous Game Reserve on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is June, September and December–February (about 70%).
Is Selous Game Reserve good for wildlife watching?
4.2 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Selous Game Reserve rates 4.2/5: 93rd of 316 parks worldwide and 45th in Africa. 19 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
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