Ruaha National Park is home to abundant wildlife, it is the second largest biodiversity ecosystem of Tanzania named after the great river Ruaha, the name Ruaha was derived from the Hehe tribe to mean water, it covers an area space of approximately 20,000kilometres and is being managed by the Tanzania national park’s authority. It is a large conservation area there are several habitats ranging from the Savannah grassy lands, woodland, acacia, shrubs, bushes, granite kopjes, and seasonal rivers dotted with boa bob. These act as homes to the variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The park was first gazette as a game reserve in 1910 by the German government and was later upgraded to the status of a national park by 1964.
Wildlife in Ruaha National Park is a full composition of an ecosystem expect to see large mammals, for instance, African elephants which enjoy digging up in the sandy river beds mostly for water, cape buffaloes, lions, leopards, zebras, cheetahs, wild dogs, waterbucks, giraffes, hippos, white and black Rhinoceros, roan antelopes, greater and lesser kudus, bat-eared fox, hippos to mention a few. There are over 500 species of birds that have been recorded Examples of birds of Ruaha include ostriches, African harrier hawks, pelicans, and ground horn hills. Kingfishers, plover birds, eagles. Crows, sunbirds among other types, reptiles of the park include snakes and monitor lizards
Wildlife in Ruaha National Park can be seen during the game drives these are done in sessions in the morning, afternoon, and evening times which end in sundowners, game drives are done using 4×4 wheel car drives, through the well-distributed game tracks, guided nature walks will expose you to the wildlife of the national park as well, these are led by an experienced park ranger guide who will tell you detailed information of the features you will see, and birding in the national park.
Along the southern circuit, Ruaha is one of the best places to visit, despite it being shadowed by its sister national parks to the north of Tanzania which include Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park,and the famous Serengeti National Park.
The best time to see wildlife in Ruaha National Park is during the dry season in the months of December -February and June -early September when the grasses are shorter and the trails are much drier, most animal species gather around the water ponds and the seasonal river beds during this time which makes it easier to see them compared to the wet season. That mentioned the park can however be visited all year round depending on guest preference each time is super different.
Trips to Ruaha National Park can be combined with those to Mikumi National Park and Gombe National Park for chimpanzee tracking, it can be accessed by road or by air transport, it is by far one of the most challenging destinations to visit in Tanzania which is why it is less with tourism activity, for travellers who do not love much of a crowd this is the perfect destination.