Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
side of the road, a popular local haunt. En route between Songea and Tunduru, you'll pass
through the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor ('Ushoroba' in Swahili), with wide views over
the Ruvuma River Basin. About 65km east of Songea is the turn-off for Mbarang'andu
Wildlife Management Area, an extension of the Selous ecosystem.
SELOUS-NIASSA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR
The Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor ( www.selous-niassa-corridor.org ) joins
the Selous Game Reserve with Mozambique's Niassa Reserve, forming a vast
conservation area of about 120,000 sq km, and ensuring protection of one of the
world's largest elephant ranges. In addition to the elephants, estimated to num-
ber about 85,000, the area is home to one of the continent's largest buffalo
herds, and more than half of its remaining wild dog population, and it is an im-
portant resting and nesting area for migratory birds. The area also encompasses
large areas of both the Rufiji and Ruvuma river basins, with the watershed run-
ning roughly parallel to the Songea-Tunduma road. Local communities in the
area are the Undendeule, the Ngoni and the Yao, who have formed various
village-based wildlife management areas to support the corridor. Several of
these communities have started small ecotourism ventures, including Marumba,
southeast of Tunduru. Guides can be arranged at the Chingoli Society office in
the village centre to visit Jiwe La Bwana (with views across the border into
Mozambique) and Chingoli Table Mountain and caves, used by locals as a hid-
ing place during the Maji Maji rebellion, as well as for village tours. There's a
basic campsite just outside the village. (With many thanks to Rudolf Hahn for
assistance with this information.)
Search WWH ::




Custom Search