Ruaha National Park stands as Tanzania's largest national park, covering over 20,000 square kilometers of pristine wilderness in the heart of the country. The largest protected wildlife area in Tanzania, Ruaha National Park is a land of astonishing sights, yet it remains one of Africa's best-kept safari secrets. The park was established in 1964 and gets its name from the Great Ruaha River that flows along its southeastern border, providing life to this vast ecosystem during the dry season.
The park has one of Tanzania's largest elephant populations; approximately 12,000 elephant migrate through the greater Ruaha region every year. But Ruaha's real claim to fame lies in its incredible predator populations. Tanzania's Rungwa-Ruaha landscape covers over 50,000km2 and supports one of the largest remaining lion populations in the world, as well as globally important populations of cheetahs and African wild dogs. Prides of over 20 lions are regularly spotted, making the lions the undisputed kings of the park, while Ruaha's flagship animal is the wild dog with around 100 individuals making this one of their last strongholds in East Africa.
