| The lions in the Selous Game Reserve in southern | | | | The lions will usually attack anything from an impala |
| Tanzania are present in huge numbers; an estimated | | | | to a buffalo; many of the attacks are unsuccessful. |
| four thousand lions. They are common everywhere in | | | | However, when they succeed they pull the victim |
| the northern part of the Selous; and as luck would | | | | down and bite into the throat and slowly strangle it. |
| have it this is where almost all the tourist camps are | | | | The leopard is a solitary animal that is largely |
| to be found. If you plan to have a lion safari in the | | | | nocturnal. They are rarely spotted by tourists and |
| Selous you will not be disappointed. However, they | | | | though to be a much rarer animal. This is not the |
| are not so easy to spot in this reserve as they are in | | | | case; in fact the leopard out number the lions by a |
| the open grass land of the Serengeti in the north of | | | | large margin. As these animals are no longer killed |
| Tanzania. The dense vegetation is the perfect cover | | | | from their fur and so they are no longer an |
| for the shy Selous lion to take shelter and hide from | | | | endangered species. The leopard prefers the dense |
| the safari vehicles. | | | | bush and thickets and is harder to spot although they |
| Along the mighty Rufiji River there are eleven prides | | | | often live in close proximity to humans. The |
| of lions. To stay in a tented lodge on the Rufiji River | | | | Matamwe Game Post often looses chickens to the |
| is an amazing experience as you can hear the roar of | | | | leopard. They are proficient hunters and like to eat |
| the Selous lion over a distance of eight kilometers. As | | | | bush buck, fish, insects, birds and monkeys are one |
| you hear the roaring coming closer and closer it can | | | | of their favorite foods. Often they will drag the kill |
| be quite frightening - which adds to the safari | | | | into the branches of a tree, and so to look out for |
| experience. Lions are not afraid of open fires so do | | | | scratches on the bark of a tree will indicate that |
| not go wandering around at night. However, a closed | | | | leopards are not far away. |
| tent is quite safe even if the whole pride decides to | | | | The cheetah is a rare site in the Selous Game |
| settle around your tent. | | | | Reserve although there have been more sightings in |
| Lions may be popular with the tourist but they are | | | | recent years. It is thought that the lack of open |
| less than popular with the villages around the Selous. | | | | grassland together with the high density of other |
| In a single year up to forty villagers fall prey to lions. | | | | predators is not well suited for this animal. |