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Regions
Why is the ‘Selous Game Reserve’ called Shamba la Bibi?
Posted: Sunday July 13, 2008 9:10 PM BT
The Selous Game Reserve is not only Africa's largest protected area, but also the oldest. Its 110th birthday will be celebrated next year. Unfortunately I found out the details of its creation too late to mark its 100th birthday. All the more appropriate, therefore to commemorate its anniversary next year.
![]() The Selous boasts one of the world's largest populations of elephant, and some of the last remaining Black Rhino. In addition to this, there are also Wildebeest, Giraffe, Lichtenstein's Hartebeest, Sable Antelope, Greater Kudu, Eland, Lion and Leopard to be seen. Hot volcanic springs and more than 350 birds and 2,000 plant species add to this sanctuary's varied attractions
![]() This reserve contains about one third of all the wild dogs (often called painted dogs), in the world. Their need to roam vast areas and their formidable hunting skills have caused many to be shot by farmers, but here in the Selous they have boundless woodlands and savannah in which to roam.
![]() The Rufiji River, with its lagoons, sandbanks and lakes, and the surrounding forests and woodlands that make up the Selous Game Reserve create a very unique and unusual safari environment.
Due to such decision therefore, District local administrations were required to earmark one or two suitable areas in their respective districts potential for wildlife conservation. The Governor's office even laid down the size, namely the area created by "ten hours walk in every direction". In such a time a person would walk about thirty kilometres. Every hunting reserve should therefore measure approximately 1,000 km2. The first two such protected areas were established in a decree of May 7th, 1896: " I declare as 'Hunting-Reserve' the area, which has as its northern boundary the country of Rubeho beho, in the west the ascent to the Khutu-Plateau (sharply demarcated by the chain of hills extending from Kisaki in a north-southerly direction until they reach the Rufiji), in the south the Rufiji River up to Mtemere (Ramsay's map), in the east the lakes of the steppe up to the village of Mserakera (Kiepert's map)." Different names were in use for this protected area. It was called Rufiji- Mohoro- or Kisaki Reserve. Its size was well over 1500 km2 (half the size of present day Mikumi National Park) and it lay within what is nowadays called the northern sector of the Selous. All present tourist camps except Stiegler's Gorge and Sand Rivers are situated inside the original Reserve as created by the colonial administration. There were a number of villages inside the reserve too, as for example Beho Beho, and there was no intention to move them out. The second protected area von Wissmann declared was Kilimanjaro-West in Moshi District, which at a later stage was degazetted again. Governor von Gotttzen confirmed later in a letter that these two areas were the first protected Game Reserves in the colony and that they were established in 1896. By 1911 there were 15 such protected areas totalling approximately 30,000 km2 or 3 % of the colony. They were called "Hunting Reserves", but in fact all hunting was prohibited there. Any violation could be penalized with three months imprisonment or a fine of up to 5,000 rupees which was ten times the price of an elephant licence in that time. Until recently the Umfolozi, Hluhluwe and Sabi (later Krueger National Park) Reserves in South Africa were regarded as Africa's oldest protected areas. But their origins date back only to 1898. The Selous is therefore Africa's oldest Park in the modern sense. Certain sacred areas where hunting was forbidden also existed in traditional African society. Settlement was not excluded in the game reserves in German East Africa. The Government tried, however, to select primarily unsettled land. The supervision of the Hunting Reserves was left in the hands of the local chiefs. They were assisted by one or two African game scouts. Two German foresters had been posted at Mount Kilimanjaro and Meru, but the Rufiji Reserve was supervised only by locals. Informers reporting poaching activities were rewarded with money and in general poaching was said to be minimal at that time. Even today local people and game scouts call the Selous Shamba la Bibi which when translated literally means "the field of the lady or wife". It is widely believed, and repeated in many publications, that the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II gave the Selous area to his wife as a birthday present. I could not find any proof for this in the colonial files or literature, and generally the Germans documented everything well. A more probable explanation for the term was found a few months ago by Bernhard Gissibl, a PhD student from Berlin, in old German files kept in the archives in Dar es Salaam. He studied correspondence, dated 1912, between the "Bezirksamt" (District Administration) in Morogoro and the Governor's office on the establishment of another reserve in the "Mkata-Steppe" which is north of and partly within present day Mikumi National Park. It was pointed out that the local people do not understand the difference between a game reserve and a forest reserve, which was another category of protected land introduced by the Germans in order to protect natural vegetation and avoid deforestation a problem persisted even at that time. Special reference is made in this connection to the Rufiji Game Reserve. Herr Redslob, a young forester ("Forstassessor") who had traveled the Mkata area at length and talked with the people therefore proposed to distinguish between the two reserves' categories by simply pointing out what local people were and were not allowed to do in the reserves. In a game reserve the local people were allowed to have fields (shamba), grow crops, collect firewood and cut trees, all predominantly work of the womenfolk. However, hunting, an entirely male occupation in African society, was not allowed. In that context therefore, Shamba la Bibi was suggested as a short and snappy phrase to explain what could be done in a game reserve and what not - women's work, not men's. THE SELOUS GAME RESERVE Enter Africa's largest protected area uninhabited by man, where Tanzania's greatest population of elephants wander in an area bigger than Switzerland! The Selous (pronounced "Seloo") is considered important enough to be World Heritage Site, in which the lucky few can experience a safari in absolutely wild and unspoiled bush. The park is named after Englishman, Frederick Courtney Selous - conservationist, hunter, explorer and author, whose adventure books on Africa became best sellers in Victorian England. The park varies from rolling grassy woodlands and plains, to rocky outcrops cut by the Rufiji River - the lifeblood of the park, whose tributaries form a network of lakes, lagoons and channels. Volcanic hot springs even burst forth in places. The Rufiji offers a superb method of game viewing especially during the dry season when animals congregate. ANIMALS AND AQUATIC LIFE Selous contains about one third of all the wild dogs (often called painted dogs), in the world. Their need to roam vast areas and their formidable hunting skills have caused many to be shot by farmers, but here in Selous they have boundless woodlands and savannahs in which to roam. Migrating Elephant Along the Rufiji River, an array of grazing antelopes, crocodiles and hippos are commonly seen as well as black and white colobus monkeys in the riverine forests. During the dry season from June to October, the concentration of animals along the river is astonishing. Linked to the Rufii is Lake Tagalala where waterbuck, reedbuck and bushbuck gather at the water's edge. Magnificent sickle-horned sable and curly-horned greater kudu tend to keep to the longer grass and wooded shrubby areas. In the dry season an ancient migration of elephants takes place between the Selous and Mozambique's Niassa Game Reserves. This is one of the largest natural trans-boundary eco-systems in Africa and at the last consensus it was estimated that 64,400 elephants roam the two parks, with 84% on the Tanzanian side. Fierce tiger fish and smooth slippery vandu catfish are caught in the rivers. The latter is equipped with primitive lungs allowing it to cross land for short distance in an attempt to find water water during the dry season. SEASONS Dry Season: The dry season sets in during June to November and is the best time for game viewing along the rivers. Elephants come out of the bush at that time and predators are more commonly seen. Rainy Season: January to April is wonderful for birdlife ad lush scenery but many roads become impassable after heavy rains. December to February is still good for game viewing but can be rather hot and humid. The safari lodges are usually closed from March to May. SELOUS SPECIALITIES - Rare and endangered Wild Dog - Boat game viewing - Fishing - Thousands of migrating elephants - Walking safaris - Huge wilderness FACTS This massive stretch of land is the second largest game reserve in Africa. At over 21,000 miles² (55,000 km²) it is almost four times the size of the Serengeti. |
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