Selous Game Reserve is Africa’s largest protected area | CNN

Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania is Africa’s largest protected area

Maureen O'Hare
By Maureen O'Hare, CNN
2 minute read
Updated 4:38 AM EST, Thu January 28, 2016
American photographer Robert J. Ross spent four years capturing the fauna, flora and landscape of the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, Africa's oldest and largest protected area. Four hundred of the pictures have been gathered in a new book. <br />
"The Selous in Africa: A Long Way from Anywhere" —
American photographer Robert J. Ross spent four years capturing the fauna, flora and landscape of the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, Africa's oldest and largest protected area. Four hundred of the pictures have been gathered in a new book.
Robert J. Ross
The aptly named elegant grasshopper appears by the thousands along the edges of the rivers and lakes in the northern Selous. It feeds on toxic plants, storing the toxins in its body as a defense against predators.
Elegant grasshopper —
The aptly named elegant grasshopper appears by the thousands along the edges of the rivers and lakes in the northern Selous. It feeds on toxic plants, storing the toxins in its body as a defense against predators.
Robert J. Ross
White-fronted bee-eaters have one of the most complex family-based social systems found in birds. They reside in colonies of several hundred individuals, digging holes for nesting and roosting deep into the steep banks of rivers.
White-fronted bee-eaters —
White-fronted bee-eaters have one of the most complex family-based social systems found in birds. They reside in colonies of several hundred individuals, digging holes for nesting and roosting deep into the steep banks of rivers.
Robert J. Ross
Elephants use their tusks for stripping bark from trees, digging and, occasionally, for battle. Human demand for ivory has seen elephant numbers in Selous drop in recent years.
Elephants in peril —
Elephants use their tusks for stripping bark from trees, digging and, occasionally, for battle. Human demand for ivory has seen elephant numbers in Selous drop in recent years.
Robert J. Ross
Like domestic cats, crocodiles have vertical slit-shaped pupils and excellent night vision. The Nile crocodile is an alpha predator that primarily hunts at night.
Nile crocodile —
Like domestic cats, crocodiles have vertical slit-shaped pupils and excellent night vision. The Nile crocodile is an alpha predator that primarily hunts at night.
Robert J. Ross
The crested barbet is an aggressively territorial bird. They've been known to chase off other barbets, doves and larger birds, as well as rats and snakes.
The crested berbet —
The crested barbet is an aggressively territorial bird. They've been known to chase off other barbets, doves and larger birds, as well as rats and snakes.
Robert J. Ross
A lioness, well camouflaged in the dry savannah, stalks an unsuspecting gazelle. There are more lions in the Selous than any other protected area in Africa.
Lioness and gazelle —
A lioness, well camouflaged in the dry savannah, stalks an unsuspecting gazelle. There are more lions in the Selous than any other protected area in Africa.
Robert J. Ross
Borassus palms rise from the swamps between the Rufiji River and the northern lakes. The palms can grow up to 30 meters high.
Borassus palms —
Borassus palms rise from the swamps between the Rufiji River and the northern lakes. The palms can grow up to 30 meters high.
Robert J. Ross
The northern carmine bee eater is a seasonal visitor to the Selous. They're often found early and late in the day roosting on trees and bushes in and around lakes and rivers.
Northern carmine bee-eaters —
The northern carmine bee eater is a seasonal visitor to the Selous. They're often found early and late in the day roosting on trees and bushes in and around lakes and rivers.
Robert J. Ross
An aerial view of the region's sand rivers in dry season. "It's an incredible wild and pristine place," Robert J. Ross tells CNN.
Sand rivers —
An aerial view of the region's sand rivers in dry season. "It's an incredible wild and pristine place," Robert J. Ross tells CNN.
Robert J. Ross
Inside Selous: The incredible African game reserve few have heard of
CNN  — 

It’s bigger than Switzerland and has one of Africa’s largest elephant populations. It has more lions than any other game reserve. It’s one of the most diverse undisturbed ecosystems on the planet.

So why have few people outside of Tanzania ever heard of its Selous Game Reserve?

A book by American photographer Robert J. Ross could help change all that.

With photos culled from more than 100,000 shot over four years, “The Selous in Africa: A Long Way from Anywhere” captures the fauna, flora and dramatic landscapes of this UNESCO World Heritage site. As Ross tells CNN, it’s like the reserve has been “hiding in plain sight.”

“I went there initially just to do a couple of magazine stories, but after a couple of weeks in one small part of the reserve, I realized how incredibly beautiful it is, how varied. It’s still an incredibly wild and pristine place.”

The threat of poaching

However, in recent years Selous has seen a dramatic increase in poaching and other threats to the reserve’s environment.

Between 2009 and 2013, the years Ross was working on the project, as many as 25,000 elephants were killed in the Selous – about two thirds of the reserve’s population.

“It’s a dramatic and tragic decrease,” he says.

“The rhinos are almost completely gone from the game reserve and it’s unlikely that without a major reintroduction program that you’d ever see a significant rhino population back in the game reserve.

“Elephants at this point could come back, with proper management and care.”

Efforts are being made today today to preserve the region’s unique resources and withstand future threats.

“The Selous World Heritage site is our common heritage,” Kishore Rao, former head of UNESCO’s World Heritage Center, writes in the foreword to Ross’s book.

“We cannot let the Selous die, it is our common responsibility to save it. Together we can make it happen.”

“The Selous in Africa: A Long Way from Anywhere” by Robert J. Ross is published by Officina Libraria and distributed in the U.S. by ACC. It’s available to buy on Amazon.

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