World Heritage Identification Number: 199
World Heritage since: 1982
Category: Natural Heritage
WHE Type: Protected Areas & National Parks
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: Yes
Country: 🇹🇿 United Republic of Tanzania
Continent: Africa
UNESCO World Region: Africa
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The Selous Game Reserve: A Haven for African Biodiversity
The Selous Game Reserve, now officially known as the Nyerere National Park, is a sprawling expanse of pristine wilderness located in southern Tanzania, East Africa. Established in 1922, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to its exceptional biodiversity and extensive, untouched natural landscapes. Covering an area of approximately 50,000 square kilometers, the park serves as a vital refuge for countless African wildlife species, making it one of the largest protected areas in Africa.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Large numbers of elephants, black rhinoceroses, cheetahs, giraffes, hippopotamuses and crocodiles live in this immense sanctuary, which measures 50,000 km2 and is relatively undisturbed by human impact. The park has a variety of vegetation zones, ranging from dense thickets to open wooded grasslands.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (ix): The Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest remaining wilderness areas in Africa, with relatively undisturbed ecological and biological processes, including a diverse range of wildlife with significant predator/prey relationships. The property contains a great diversity of vegetation types, including rocky acacia-clad hills, gallery and ground water forests, swamps and lowland rain forest. The dominant vegetation of the reserve is deciduous Miombo woodlands and the property constitutes a globally important example of this vegetation type. Because of this fire-climax vegetation, soils are subject to erosion when there are heavy rains. The result is a network of normally dry rivers of sand that become raging torrents during the rains; these sand rivers are one of the most unique features of the Selous landscape. Large parts of the wooded grasslands of the northern Selous are seasonally flooded by the rising water of the Rufiji River, creating a very dynamic ecosystem.
Criterion (x): The reserve has a higher density and diversity of species than any other Miombo woodland area: more than 2,100 plants have been recorded and more are thought to exist in the remote forests in the south. Similarly, the property protects an impressive large mammal fauna; it contains globally significant populations of African elephant (Loxodontha africana) (106,300), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) (2,135) and wild hunting dog (Lycaon pictus). It also includes one of the world's largest known populations of hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) (18,200) and buffalo (Syncerus caffer) (204,015). There are also important populations of ungulates including sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) (7000), Lichtenstein's hartebeest (Alcelaphus lichtensteinii) (52,150), greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), eland (Taurotragus oryx) and Nyassa wildebeest (Connochaetes albojubatus) (80,815). In addition, there is also a large number of Nile crocodile (Crocodilus niloticus) and 350 species of birds, including the endemic Udzungwa forest partridge (Xenoperdix udzungwensis) and the rufous winged sunbird (Nectarinia rufipennis). Because of this high density and diversity of species, the Selous Game Reserve is a natural habitat of outstanding importance for in-situ conservation of biological diversity.
Encyclopedia Record: Selous Game Reserve
The Selous Game Reserve, now renamed as Nyerere National Park (in-part), is a protected nature reserve and wilderness area in southern Tanzania, East Africa. It covers a total area of 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi), with additional buffer zones, as well. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, owing to its high levels of biodiversity and vast, undisturbed natural landscapes, such as the grasslands and the miombo woodlands habitat. Among the numerous species within the park are some of the continent's largest and most iconic, such as the bush elephant, black rhinoceros, hippopotamus, lion, leopard, spotted hyena, painted dog, Cape buffalo, Masai giraffe, plains zebra, white-bearded gnu and the giant Nile crocodile. Due to the fragility and sensitivity of the many species and ecosystems within the park, human habitation is not permitted within its bounds, and all persons entering and exiting are tallied and tracked by the Wildlife Division of the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.Additional Site Details
Area: 5,120,000 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(x) — Contains most important habitats for biodiversity
Coordinates: -9 , 37.4
IUCN World Heritage Outlook
The 2025 Conservation Outlook on Selous Game Reserve reports the following assessment:
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) · View assessment
Image
© Panii at German Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Selous Game Reserve from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
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New record of strawberry leopard (Panthera pardus) in Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
A rare strawberry leopard, characterized by red or brown spots instead of the typical black, has been documented for the first time on the African continent outside South Africa. This unique phenotype, likely resulting from a mutation in the TYRP1 gene, was identified in the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania, during camera trap surveys covering over 4600 km² between 2020 and 2022. Among 373 leopards recorded, only one female exhibited this distinctive coloration, representing a 0.3% occurrence rate. The discovery underscores the genetic diversity within leopard populations and expands the known distribution of this rare morph in Africa.
Searle, C. E., Strampelli, P., Parsais, S. N., Haule, L. J., Olesyapa, K. K., Salum, N. D., Hape, G., Elisa, M., Mathayo, D., Kaduma, J., Malulu, N., Mkaka, N., Robert, J., Ikanda, D., Mtoka, S., Doody, K., Lobora, A. L., & Dickman, A. J. (2024). New record of strawberry leopard (Panthera pardus) in Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania. Ecology and Evolution, 14(7). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11542
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Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Local Community Perceptions Towards Lion Conservation: A Case of the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
A overwhelming majority (86%) of local communities near the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania, hold negative perceptions towards lions, primarily driven by socioeconomic factors. Key influences include education level, occupation, livestock numbers and management, water source availability, and proximity to protected areas. The study, based on surveys and interviews with 384 households, highlights that higher education correlates with more positive attitudes (p=0.0016), while livestock-related challenges and distance from the reserve exacerbate negative sentiment (p<0.05). Compensation for lion attack victims is recommended to mitigate hostility towards the species.
Gayo, L., Nahonyo, C. L., & Masao, C. A. (2020). Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Local Community Perceptions Towards Lion Conservation: A Case of the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 56(3), 480–494. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021909620929382
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Lion Densities in Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
Lion densities in the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania, were found to be significantly lower than previously estimated, with an average of 1.2 lions per 100 km², highlighting the need for urgent conservation efforts. This study utilized camera trapping and lion scent marking surveys across different habitats within the reserve to assess population density and distribution. The findings underscore the importance of monitoring lion populations in large, protected areas to inform conservation strategies and ensure the long-term survival of this iconic species.
Crosmary, W.-G., Ikanda, D., Ligate, F. A., Sandini, P., Mkasanga, I., Mkuburo, L., Lyamuya, R., Ngongolo, K., & Chardonnet, P. (2018). Lion Densities in Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania. African Journal of Wildlife Research, 48(1), 14001. https://doi.org/10.3957/056.048.014001
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Application of Remote Sensing and GIS for Assessing Land Cover Resources Variability in the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
Between 2000 and 2010, the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania experienced a significant decline in vegetation density, as revealed by normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) analysis. The study, which used Landsat TM and ETM+ images to map land cover changes, found that dense vegetation (NDVI ≥ 0.72) shrank from covering 46.5% of the reserve in 2000 to just 8.04% by 2010. This decline highlights the importance of integrating remote sensing and GIS for monitoring land cover variability, detecting habitat fragmentation, and informing wildlife conservation strategies.
Mambo, P. W., & Makunga, J. E. (2017). APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING AND GIS FOR ASSESSING LAND COVER RESOURCES VARIABILITY IN THE SELOUS GAME RESERVE, TANZANIA. European Journal of Technology, 1(2), 74. https://doi.org/10.47672/ejt.227
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Hotspot elephant-poaching areas in the Eastern Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
Elephant poaching hotspots in the Eastern Selous Game Reserve (ESGR), Tanzania, are concentrated along its edges, particularly during the wet season. This pattern is linked to local involvement driven by economic deprivation. Researchers analyzed elephant mortality data from 2008–2013, revealing higher poaching incidences on reserve peripheries due to proximity to human settlements lacking alternative livelihoods. The study underscores the need for targeted conservation strategies, including economic empowerment, strengthened law enforcement, and community-based anti-poaching initiatives, to mitigate illegal ivory trade in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kyando, M., Ikanda, D., & Røskaft, E. (2017). Hotspot elephant-poaching areas in the Eastern Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania. African Journal of Ecology, 55(3), 365–371. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12363
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The role of anthrax in the population biology of wildebeest in the Selous Game Reserve
Anthrax, though responsible for the death of approximately 10% of wildebeest in the Selous Game Reserve, maintains a balanced relationship with its host population. The pathogen appears to target animals that are already disadvantaged, potentially benefiting the overall health and stability of the wildebeest population. To reduce anthrax occurrences, reserve management could focus on reducing the number of older wildebeest beyond calves, which would also stabilize age distribution, improve habitat quality, and decrease the prevalence of animals in poor condition. This study compares the anthrax-wildebeest dynamic with evolutionary host-pathogen models using demographic data and disease characteristics.
Gainer, R. S. (2010). The role of anthrax in the population biology of wildebeest in the Selous Game Reserve. University of British Columbia. https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0094523
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