The Selous Game Reserve in southeastern Tanzania is one of Africa’s largest protected areas and internationally recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Selous Game Reserve accounts for more than one-fifth of Tanzania’s protected area network.
In 2019 it was divided into Nyerere National Park and Selous Game Reserve. These two places contain a wide variety of habitats including Miombo woodlands, open grasslands, riverine forests, and swamps, with diverse communities of plants and animals. More than 2,100 plant species have been recorded in the region, and the ecosystem is home to globally significant concentrations of elephants, buffalo, hippos, and crocodiles, amongst many other species.
- Project: Nyerere - Selous Conservation Project
- Nyerere National Park size: 30,893 km²
- Selous Game Reserve size: 51,799 km²
- Start of Nyerere National Park Conservation Project: 2019
- Start of Selous Game Reserve Conservation Project: 2012
- Program Manager: Kathryn Doody
- Nyerere National Park and Selous Game Reserve
- How we support this project
- Partners
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Frankfurt Zoological Society has supported the protection of Selous since the 1980s. Most recently, since 2012 FZS has provided assistance through aerial surveys, provision of an aircraft for conservation purposes, and providing technical and logistical support to team members in Selous.
Since 2017, FZS has been an implementing and co-financing partner of the Tanzanian and German governments’ joint ‘Selous Ecosystem Conservation and Development Program’ (SECAD). The objective of this program is to strengthen the Selous Game Reserve management and protection through the following activities:
- Providing baseline ecological assessments
- Reviewing and updating the General Management Plan and financial plan
- Developing and implementing management instruments
- Supporting and advising law enforcement through aerial surveillance, improving the communication system, and ranger training
- Administering capacity building programs
- Conducting ecosystem monitoring and providing evaluation frameworks in collaboration with partners
- Implementing intensive protection measures for black rhinos
- Establishing ‘Selous Ecosystem Coordination Forum’
With support from the U.S. government, we are working with the Selous Game Reserve and Nyerere National Park management to further strengthen law enforcement through the training of specialized ranger units.
11/10/2022Project update
Protecting endangered chimpanzees
11/10/2022Project updateProtecting endangered chimpanzees
Restoring the Mahale-Katavi Corridor is critical to the conservation of endangered eastern chimpanzees in Tanzania.
09/15/2022Project update
Banks for people and nature
09/15/2022Project updateBanks for people and nature
Empowering the growth of conservation-friendly livelihood opportunities that benefit both people and the natural environment.
09/14/2022Project update
“We take care of the Serengeti”
09/14/2022Project update“We take care of the Serengeti”
In Tanzania, especially in villages around protected areas, a popular and profitable business opportunity that also benefits the environment is beekeeping. A new honey processing facility built by FZS is helping farmers make more money from their products while helping the industry grow.
Successful conservation is always the result of great teamwork. We collaborate with local communities, national authorities, and conservation organizations. Our partners make our conservation work possible.
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Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA)
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Wildlife Division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania
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Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI)
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KfW Group
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GIZ
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United States Department of State