Ruaha National Park covers an area of 12,950 sq. kms
and is Tanzania's second largest National Park. It forms
the core of a much larger (45,000 sq. kms) ecosystem
including Rungwa and Kisigo Game Reserves and although
it was established in 1910 as part of the Saba Game
Reserve it's present boundaries were demarcated as
recently as 1964.

The central spine of the Park is the watershed
between the Nzombe and Ruaha rivers, with its dramatic
escarpment above which are large stretches of miombo
woodland. Below this lie undulating plains with
vegetation ranging from dry bush country to treeless
grasslands, swamps and evergreen forests intersected by
the many sand rivers that are such a feature of this
area. Ruaha represents a transition zone where eastern
and southern species of flora and fauna overlap and in
all some 1,650 plant species and over 450 bird species
have been recorded within the park itself.