- Safari Types
- Our Destinations
- Activities
- General
Explore Top Destinations
Nyerere National Park
Now the Largest National Park in Africa, Nyerere National Park is a newly established Park which is part of what is known as Selous Game Reserve.
Introducing Nyerere National Park
One of the largest wildlife havens in the world and Tanzania’s largest National Park, the Nyerere National Park (previously named the Selous Game Reserve) is just South of Dar es Salaam and is home to diverse wildlife experiences, away from the mainstream tourist circuit. With the life-giving Rufiji river meandering through the heart of this area, it is one of the best places to encounter countless hippos, crocodiles and birdlife up-close during a boating safari. The Rufiji’s many tributaries, side streams and small lakes are an invaluable life force for wildlife. The combination of traditional, land-based game drives and walking safaris plus water-based safaris makes it great value in a truly remote wilderness area. Though this park is newly established, the entire Selous Game Reserve spanning a massive 54,600km² traces its historical roots back to 1896. More than a century later, in 1982 the reserve gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status, recognising the importance of its position as a wildlife corridor with Mozambique’s Niassa reserve to the south. Adding a portion of this reserve to TANAPA’s esteemed portfolio of parks raises its profile as a well-managed and thriving, protected eco system in Tanzania.
Experience the Nyerere National Park
Wildlife 
Birdlife
Wildlife at the Nyerere National Park
Nyerere is one of the few places in Tanzania that allows for an exciting combination of traditional game drives and water-based safari. During your boating safari, chances are excellent you will spot a variety of wildlife coming down and into the water to quench their thirst. It is an unusual perspective to observe game from a boat in the water, as if you are looking from the inside, outwards. Along the way you will marvel at the large concentrations of honking hippos and belly crawling crocodiles, offering an up close perspective at these interesting water mammals. During hot days you may even find herds of elephants cooling down in the water or crossing a waterway with their trunks raised like periscopes.
With over 30,000 km2 of land to explore during your game drive you will have plenty of opportunity to search and enjoy a diverse range of species. You are bound to come across large herds of elephant and buffalo. A highlight of a visit to Nyerere will include meeting up with a pack of African Wild Dogs. Along the Rufiji waterways and lakes you will witness plenty of hippos and crocodiles too. Some of the rare species of antelope include the Roan Antelope, Brindled Gnu, Lichtenstein hartebeest, roan and sable antelopes and Kudu.
Birdlife at the Nyerere National Park
Nyerere has a wide range of bird species and some of these include mangrove kingfishers, Boehm’s bee-eater, Livingstone’s flycatcher, green-caped eremomela, yellow-bellied bulbul, white helmet shrikes, wattle eyed flycatcher, red throated twin spot, grey-hooded kingfisher, black cuckoo-shrike, African skimmer, red-winged warbler, spotted flanked barbet, red-billed helmetshrike, pearl-spotted owl, palm-nut vulture, broad-billed roller, von Decken’s hornbill, red throated twinspot, Layard’s black-headed weavers, grey Penduline, purple banded sunbird, African spoonbill, brown necked parrot, Racket-tailed roller, Thick billed cuckoo, white backed vulture, white headed lapwing, Pel’s fishing owl, Dickinson’s Kestrel, brown headed parrot and the Rock pranticole.
The Nyerere birds can be seen all throughout the year but the best time is during the rainy season which starts in November till April. A few migratory birds start flying into Nyerere once the rainy season starts and by April, they are so many it becomes hard to see all of them. The best time to catch both the resident bird species and the migratory ones is in the month of April when they start nestling.
Best time to visit Nyerere National Park
The best time to visit the Nyerere National Park is during the dry season from June until October. This coincides with the main safari season in East Africa. During this time wildlife is concentrated around the waterholes, lakes and rivers, which make it easier to track and find. With the bush less dense and grasslands receding, this time of the year is also ideal for viewing and photographing wildlife. Chances are excellent that you may spot a pride of lions hunting close to the shores of Lake Nzerakera as they wait around for animals to come down for a drink. Even though Nyerere experiences similar temperatures throughout the year because it is located close to the equator, this time of the year may be slightly cooler and less humid.
Like most national parks in Tanzania, the dry season from June to October is perfect for game viewing, as the vegetation is more sparse, making it easier to spot animals. March to May and late October to mid-December is the rainy season, which makes many of the roads impassable and animals harder to spot. For bird enthusiasts, we also recommend the shorter dry season from mid-December to March, as many migratory birds then settle in Selous. If the scarce wild dog is what you are after, June to August is perfect, as this is their denning season.
Related Top Destinations Tanzania