Ruaha National Park lies about 130 km west of Iringa in south-central Tanzania. It was gazetted in 1964 from the southern part of the Rungwa Game Reserve and, after the Usangu wetlands were added in 2008, covers 20,226 km², making it one of the largest national parks in Africa. It is named after the Great Ruaha River, which runs along its south-eastern boundary and is the focus of game viewing. The park sits where the East African savanna meets the miombo woodland of southern Africa, so it holds both greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan alongside the more familiar plains species. Lion numbers are high — the park has been a Lion Conservation Unit since 2005 — and leopard, cheetah and wild dog are present. Elephant numbers fell sharply through poaching between 2009 and 2015 but remain substantial. More than 570 bird species have been recorded. Granite kopjes, baobab-studded hills and sand rivers give the landscape its character. Access is by road from Iringa or by air to the Msembe and Jongomeru airstrips, and most visitors stay in a handful of camps along the river.
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