WELCOME RUAHA NATIONAL PARK

INTRODUCTION

Ruaha national park is one of the few Tanzania’s famous wilderness area where one can have a rare experience of game viewing spiced up by the fascinating landscape. The park is rich of plants and animals such as Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus  strepsiceros) which can not be found in any other national park. The park boasts of her almost untouched and unexplored ecosystem, making visitors’ safari experience very unique.  

The Great Ruaha River as other rivers like Mwagusi, Jongomero and Mzombe save as the life line of the park. During dry season, these rivers become mostly the main source of water for wildlife. There are few natural springs saving the same purpose.

In the pick of dry season, elephants obtain water from dry sand rivers using their front feet and trunks. The remaining water falls along the Great Ruaha River are also important habitat for hippopotamus, fish and crocodiles.

CLIMATE

Ruaha National Park has a bimodal pattern of rain forest; the short rainfall season begins November to February, while the long season is between March and April. The annual mean rainfall ranges between 500mm-800mm with the average annual temperature of about 280c. The park experiences its dry season between June and October when the temperature at Msembe headquarter reaches 350c.

PARK HISTORY

The park history dates back to 1910 when it was gazetted Saba Game Reserve by the Germany then the name was changed by British to Rungwa Game reseve in 1946. In 1964 the southern portion of the Game was gazetted as Ruaha national park and in 1974 a small section of South Eastern part of the Great Ruaha River was incorporated into the park. The name “Ruaha” originates from the Hehe word “Ruvaha”, which means “river”. Ruaha National Park is part of Rungwa-Kizigo –Muhesi ecosystem which covers more than 45000km2. In 2008 Usangu game Reserve and other important wetlands in Usangu basin have been annexed into the park, making it the largest park in Tanzania and East Africa with an area of about 20226km2.

PARKS SIGNIFICANCE

Ruaha National Park has a high diversity of plants and animals including elephants, buffalos, antelopes and some of rare and endangered species like wild dogs. The park serves as water shade both for wildlife and human being. This makes it to be economically significant as it supports agricultural activities down stream and contributes to hydro- electric power (HEP) for the country at Mtera and Kidatu dams.

TOURISM ATTRACTIONS

Birds

The park is one of the Tanzania birds’ paradise with more than 571species and some of them are known to be migrants from within and outside Africa. Migrating species from Europe, Asia, Australian rim and Madagascar have been recorded in the park. Species of interest in the park include Ruaha red-billed hornbill (Tokus ruahae) which is dominant in the area. The recently annexed wetland, the Usangu basin is one of the country’s important bird area (IBA) as recognized by Birdlife International. Though birds can be seen all the year around, the best time for bird watching is during the wet season.

Animals

Ruaha is believed to have high concentration of elephants than any national park in East Africa. It is also a place where, magnificent mammals like Kudu (both Greater and Lesser), Sable and Roan antelopes can easily be spotted in Miombo woodland. The male Kudu have beautiful spiraled horns while male Sable antelope have impressive curved horns. The park is also a habitat for endangered wild dogs. Other animals in the park include lions, leopards, cheetah, giraffes, zebras, elands, impala, bat eared foxes and Jackals.

Reptiles and Amphibians

Apart from large animals, the park also harbors a number of reptiles and amphibians such as crocodiles, poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, monitor lizards, agama lizards and frogs. The Great Ruaha and Mzombe rivers are presumably the most preferred habitat for crocodiles.

Vegetation

The park is characterized by semi-arid type of vegetation, baobab trees, Acacia and other species. There are over 1650 plant species that have been identified. The park is the transitional point of two vegetation zones, the Zambezian (characterized by Miombo vegetation) and Sudanian (characterized by Acacia vegetation).

Historical and cultural sites

There are several historical and cultural sites in the park which offer a visitor a chance to explore the Southern Tanzanian tribes. The early trade routes used by the Arab caravan crossed here. In 1830 these coastal traders expanded their routes northward, and in year 1857 to 1858 other European explorers such as Burton and Speke used these routes too. Chief Mkwawa used the same routes to visit his chiefdoms in Sangu and Gogo.

The park area often hailed as the land of the brave Chief Mkwawa, the Chief of the hehe people who resisted against the German attack in the late 19th century. The fierce and successful battle tactics against the German invasion made the Hehe tribe famous in the Southern highland of the then Tanganyika (Tanzania). The Hehe tribe under the leadership of chief Mkwawa was dominant around the Ruaha area. Some of the outcrops in the area are known as hiding places of chief Mkwawa who went into hiding after the fall of his empire (kalenga) to the German in 1894.
In brief, it is believed that, this ancient land (Ruaha National Park) holds many secrets of chief Mkwawa.

Some of the cultural sites that were used for rituals are “Ganga la Mafunyo”, Nyanywa and Chahe, Painting rock at Nyanywa, the “Gogo”  chief “Mapenza” grave at Mpululu and “Mkwawa” spring area believed to be used by Chief Mkwawa. Other historical sites near the park include Isimila pillars near Iringa town, Kalenga, Mlambalasi, Lugalo and God’s bridge just to mention a few.

Physical feature

Ruaha National Park has a wide range of physical features from the Great Rift Valley, river systems, natural springs, wetlands, hot water springs, and kopjes to the beautiful rolling hills and mountains.

Rivers

The river systems and watershed are of economical, social and ecological significance for the park itself and country at large. Main rivers include the Great Ruaha, Mzombe, Mdonya, Mwagusi and Jongomero.

Rift valley

The Great Rift Valley crosses the park. The escarpment wall along the western valley side is about 50-100m high in the north-eastern parts, increasing in height to the southwest. It is considered that, the valley of the Great Ruaha River is an extension of the Great Rift Valley. The Great Ruaha River flows for 160km long along the entire eastern boundary through rugged gorges and open plains.

Natural springs

They occur throughout the park and they are associated with the base of the Western Rift Valley escarpment, most notably Mkwawa, Mwayembe, Makinde and Majimoto springs. These are dry season refugees for wildlife and when most of the rivers get dry.

Undulating landscape

The park has undulating land and hills including kilimamatonge, Nyamasombe, Nyanywa, Chariwindwi, Igawira, Mwayiui, Kibiriti, Magangwe, Ndetamburwa and Isukanvyiola. These act as kopjes creating good habitat for animals such as klipspringer which normally can be seen in some of these hills.

TOURISM ACTIVITIES

Tourism activities in the park include Game viewing, long and short wilderness walking safari, bird watching, picnic, bush meals (break-fast, lunch, dinner) in the untouched bushes.

BEST TIME TO SEE THE WILDLIFE

Best time to see predators and large mammals is during the dry season (mid May-December).

The wet season (January –April) is best for bird watching, lush scenery and wildflowers. The male Greater kudu is most visible in June which is their breeding season.

HOW TO GET THERE

By air

There are both scheduled and chartered flights into the park mainly from Arusha, Dodoma, Kigoma and Dar-es-salaam. Park’s airstrips are located at Msembe and Jongomero

By road

It is about 130km drive from Iringa town and 625km from Dar-es-salaam city.
The road into the park is passable throughout the year.

ACCOMMODATION

There are park and privately owned facilities

Park facilities

Are as follows

• Self catering tourist bandas
• Special camping sites
• Public camping sites
• Rest house
• Hostel for school groups
• Park cottages
• Family cottage
• Single room with sitting room
• Single room without sitting room

Private facilities

Inside the park 
There are several luxury tented camps operating in the park such as Jongomero, Kigelia, Mwagusi safari, Old Mdonya River, Kwihala and Flycatcher and one lodge namely Ruaha River lodge. These are privately owned.

Outside the park 
There are several accommodation facilities just outside the park: these are hill top lodge, Sunset lodge, Tandala tented camp to mention a few.

GENERAL PARK RULES AND REGULATIONS

Kindly abide to the following park rules and regulations

• Do not disturb or feed animals.
• Do not make noise or any sort of disturbance which offend other visitors
• Do not pick or destroy flowers and plants
• Littering, burning cigarettes or matches is strictly prohibited
• Pet are not allowed in the park
• Never go for a walking safari without park official armed guides/rangers
• Always stay on the authorized trails during walking safaris
• Hunting, collection of plant and animal samples is not allowed
• Tourism activities should be conducted between 6am and 7pm. For the rest of the time, visitors are expected to be in their accommodation places (i.e. lodges, camps and/or campsites)
• Off road  driving is strictly prohibited

The management and staff of Ruaha National Park welcome you and hope you will enjoy your stay in the park

PARK POSTER

KILWA DISTRICT

Kilwa Port

This document is a brief socio-economic profile of Kilwa district. Specifically, it contains in a summary form a historical overview of the district, information on demography, social sector services and economic sector activities. In ease, there is an attempt to indicate trends of occurrence in relation to national statistics.

Like in many other districts in the country, the social sector of Kilwa district is constituted of education, health, water and energy. There services in many cases fall short of the actual demand and are also unevenly distributed. The imbalance in the distribution of services is attributed to uneven distribution of population, which is concentrated in the central and southern parts of the district, particularly in the wards surrounding Kilwa town.

The economy of Kilwa district hinges on crop production, livestock keeping, fishing, trade and to a very limited extent on industrial activities. Like in most districts in Tanzania, Kilwa residents and their District Council draw a substantial amount of income and food from small holder cultivators. The most popular crops are cashew nuts, simsim and coconuts. There is not much cash generated from maize, cassava and rice as these are the main food crops in the district. On the other hand, livestock keeping, particularly dairy cattle, is on the increase. Marginal contribution in council revenue comes form seaweed farming, an activity that is attaining economic significance as the market grows.

After the implementation of the trade liberalization policy, trade in crops, especially cashew nuts and coconut, has made Kilwa town very active in terms of providing support services to local people. Transport entrepreneurs, hotel and guest house owners and telephone services in Kilwa town benefit alot from the trade. With such trade opportunities and benefits, given time, the district as a whole is likely to demonstrate a higher rate of development than before.

Associated with the growing trade in agricultural products, fertile lands have acquired more value than before and land ownership conflicts have also increased. Institutions responsible for administering and managing land which include clan leaders and the district council are in place, but they lack sufficient data on the available land resources. For instance, the extent of land utilization in the district is not fully known by the ward development committees and the district council. It is hoped that the district council, among others, will use this social-economic profile as a tool for informing district development.

Historical Overview of Kilwa District

Old Mosque - Kilwa Kisiwani

Kilwa’s wealth came from trade. Its location on the coast, with one of the finest harbors in East Africa, allowed it to develop key role in the extensive commercial networks of the region. Caravans came to Kilwa bearing valuable commodities. From the long and dangerous pathways which snaked westwards into the great. African interior, porters emerged weighed down with ivory, resins, ambergris, wax, rhinoceros horn, skins tortoise shell. Slaves also arrived in their chains and were bought and sold on the island, though the trade in slaves was not substantial until the late eighteenth century. From the inland Zimbabwe plateau far to the south came a rich supply of gold. It was carried to Sofala (now in Mozambique) on the coast, and then continued on by sea to Kilwa and northern ports.

Kilwa acted as a depot for these goods and stored the others it needed for exchange. To the mainland traders, Kilwa supplied the products prized in the interior – cowries shells, local cotton fabric and beads, as well as items from abroad, especially Indian cloth. From the north and north east of the India Ocean – from Southern Arabia, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and India, woodes dhows sailed southward with products form the Islamic world and Far East. These merchants sought first, from Kilwa’s bounty, gold and ivory, then purchased from among its other merchandise. Kilwa received India fabrics and precious ceramics in linked to its ability to dominate this trade.

THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

2.1 Location 
Kilwa district is located in Lindi Region in southern Tanzania. It lies on latitude 8020 to 9056 and longitude 38036 to 39050 east of Greenwich. To the north it borders with Rufiji district, Coast region, Lindi and Ruangwa districts in the south, Liwale district in the west and to the east, it borders with Indian Ocean. The total district area is 13, 347.50 squire Kilometers (1,334,750 ha) of which 12, 125.9 squire kilometers is surface land and 1,221.52 squire kilometers is the ocean. The tatol population in 2002 was 171, 057 living in 36,549 households. It is administratively divided into 6 divisions, 20 wards and 97 registered villages (Masoko and Kivinje urban areas inclusive).

2.2 Climate
Kilwa district has a coastal climate which is hot and humid with the average temperature range between 220C to 300C. Humidity is high, nearly 98-100% during the long rains. The district receives a total rainfall of 800-1400 mm/year and its distribution varies according to locality. The land north of Kilwa Masoko receives 1000-1400 mm, while that to the south receives less, about 800-1400 mm/year. The period of rainfall coincide with the onset of each monsoon; the long rains (Masika), from about Mid-march to May, and the short rains (Vuli) from about late October to December. Climate data available from Meteorological department in Kilwa have summarized in table 1, 2, 3 and 4 below.

THE MAIN ECONOMIC SECTORS
The economy of Kilwa district hinges on crop production, livestock keeping, fishing, trade and to a very limited extent on industrial activities. Like in most districts in Tanzania, Kilwa residents and their District Council draw a substantial amount of income and food from small holder cultivators. The most popular crops are cashew nuts, simsim and coconuts. There is not much cash generated from maize, cassava and rice as these are dairy cattle, is on the increase. Marginal contribution in council revenue comes form seaweed farming, an activity that is attaining economic significance as the market grows. The average per capital income is estimated to Tshs 150,000/= per year.

Crop Markets
Marketing of agricultural products is constrained mainly by bad roads particularly during the rain season and low prices offered by businessmen in the free market.

Irrigation
The area with potential for irrigation is estimated to be 4332 ha, however only 80 (1.8%) Ha are currently irrigated. Matandu valley is one of the best agricultural areas which covers 3,552 Ha. With an exception of Makangaga, no reasonable attempts have been made to exploit the agricultural potentiality of this valley.

Livestock
Kilwa people are traditionally non livestock keepers save for small stock of goats and poultry kept by the local communities. In 1996, Kilwa district had 1,436 cattle, 4,879 goats and 5000 sheep. In the past two years pastoralist and agro pastoralist have migrated in Kilwa from the northern and western circuits in the country, bringing with them large herds of cattle. In 2006 alone Kilwa district received 11,902 cattle, 313 goats and 143 sheep from Mbeya region. This has brought the number of livestock kept in Kliwa today to be 12,336 catle, 5,192 goats and 5,143 sheep. 5,000 more cattle are on the way coming. Table below shows the distribution of newly received livestock in Kilwa district.

Forestry
The physiognomic structure of the vegetation has been described earlier. Designated forest reserves in Kilwa district cover a total area of 207,590 Ha. This is 15 percent of the districts total land. Out of this 15,410 Ha are mangrove forest reserves. The reserves consist primary of miombo woodland, endowed with log gable tree species. The distribution of forest reserves in the district is shown in the table below:-

Fisheries
Fish is the main sources of protein in the district. Virtually all production is from the marine fisheries. The coastal fisheries, which support around 1905 fishermen and 982 fishing vessels is almost entirely dependent on traditional methods and gear (artisans fishing) including boats, mashuas, daus, ngalawa and dung out Canoes. An estimate of fish catches from fisheries department in 2006 totaled 29,460 tons and is illustrated in the table below:- 

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