This is one of the few national parks in Tanzania that is a known wilderness area where one can have a rare experience of both game viewing and the supportive, fascinating landscape. The park is known for having rich game viewing and the common animals here include the greater Kudu (tragelaphus strepiceros) that can be only found in this national park.
The national park has rivers such as, Ruaha river, Mwagusi Jongomero and Mzombe are still used as the source of water for these animals within this national park and they are much better of use during the dry season where most of the rivers dry out though the par has a small number of springs saving the same purpose in the park
In the dry season, when all the streams have fade away, elephants obtain water from dry sand river using their front feet and the trunks. The remaining waterfall here along the Great Ruaha River is also important habitat for hippopotamus, fish and crocodiles
History
Historically, the national park was gazetted as a game reserve called Saba Game Reserve by the German colonialists back in 1910 and was later changed into Rungwa National Park by the British government in 1946. The southern portion of the game reserve was gazetted as Ruaha National Park, and in 1974, a small section of the southeastern part of the great river was incorporated into the park. The name “Ruaha” originates from the Hehe word “Ruvaha,” which means a river. Ruaha National Park of the Rungwe-Kizigo-Muhesi ecosystem that covers more than 45000km2. In 2008, Usangu Game Reserve and other important wetlands in the Usangu basin were annexed into the park, making it the largest park in Tanzania and East Africa, making it the largest park in Tanzania and East Africa with an area of about 20226km2 with animals such as elephants, buffalo, and antelopes. And some of the rare endangered species, like wild dogs.
Tourism attractions in Ruaha National Park
Animals
This national park has a higher concentration of elephants than any other park in the whole of East Africa. This is a place where the magnificent Kudu (both Greater and Lesser), Sable and Roan antelopes can easily be seen in the Miombo woodland. The male Kudu has beautiful spiraled horns, while the male Sable antelope has impressive curved horns. The national park is also known to harbor endangered wild dogs. Other animals include lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, eland, impala, bat-eared foxes, and jackals.
This national park is also known to harbor several reptiles 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.
Birds
The park is one of Tanzania’s bird paradises with more than 571 species recorded, and some of them are migratory birds, and more of them come from Africa, the west and north Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Australian rim have been recorded in the park. Some of the birds include the Ruaha red-billed hornbill that dominates most of the area. The recently annexed wetland, the Usangu basin, is one of the country’s important bird areas (IBAs) as recognized by Birdlife International. Though birds can be seen all year round, the best time for bird watching is during the wet season.
Vegetation
This national park is characterized by a 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 Acacia vegetation) and the Sudanian characterized by Acacia vegetation)
Historical and cultural sites.
Several historical and cultural sites in the park offer a visitor a chance to explore the southern Tanzania tribes. The early trade routes used by the Arab caravans crossed here. In 1830, these coastal traders expanded their routes northward, and in 1857 to 1858, other European explorers such as Burton and Speke used these routes too. The known Chief Mkwawa used the same trade routes
The park area hailed the land of the brave chief Mkwawa, the chief of the Hehe people who resisted the German attack in the late 19th century. The fierce and successful battle held by the Hehe people made their land and themselves famous. Chief Mkwawa as the under the Hehe in the land of Ruaha, was very successful and tactical. Some of the outcrops and caves in the park are said to be the hiding places used by the Chief of Hehe and his warriors to fight the Germans, but still, they went to those places after and near the collapse of the Hehe kingdom. This means the land of Ruaha, where the Hehe and Mkwawa have a lot of attractions and secrets about the ancient native people. Some of the cultural areas that were anciently used for rituals still exist at Ganga la Mafunywa and Chahe. The historical sites near the park include Isimila pillars near Iringa town, Kalega, Mlabalasi, Lugalo, and the so-called Gods bridge
There are also physical features, rift valley, rivers wetland and natural springs.
Activities at Ruaha National Park
There are many activities offered by the Ruaha national park of which visitors coming to this place can engage in of which include, bird watching, nature walks, game viewing, picnic experience, bush dinners, and the best season for nature viewing is between January and April.
How to get to Ruaha National Park
Going to Ruaha National Park is by many ways, there are, by air, there are both scheduled and chartered flights into the park mainly from Arusha, Dodoma, Kigoma, and Dar es Salaam. The park's airstrip is located at the Msembe and Jongomero areas, and those willing to use the road, its 130km drive from Iringa town and 625km from Dar-es-salaam city, and the road into the park is passable throughout the year.
Accommodation
There are several luxurious tented camps, Jongomero, Kigelia, Mwagusi Safari, Old Mdonya River, Kwihala, Flycatcher, and the lodge, namely Ruaha River Lodge. And these are privately owned
Besides the inner accommodation facilities, there are facilities that were constructed outside the national park, and some of these include Hilltop Lodge, Sunset Lodge, Tandala Tented Camp, and many others.