The Mkomazi Game Reserve, a spectacular wilderness, covering an area of 3,250 sq km, is located in northern Tanzania between Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest summit and the coast. To the south of the reserve lies the Pare and Usambara Mountains which significantly influence the climate and vegetation in the reserve. It borders the Tsavo National Park in Kenya to the north making common ground for migratory herds of elephant, oryx and zebra during the wet season. Together, these reserves form one of the most important protected ecosystems on earth. Mkomazi Game Reserve is the focus of an intensive breeding program to save the endangered black rhinos, after they were wiped out in the 1980’s.

The Mkomazi Game Reserve gets its name from the Pare language meaning ‘where the water comes from’, the only permanent and reliable source of water being the Umba River which forms its south-eastern border.

The reserve, rich in fauna and flora, is characterized by wild and scenic stretches of baobab studded savannah and grassland, these being perfect for black rhinos. You can spot them best at their water holes. The reserve is home to the big five (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard). As well as being a wet season sanctuary for the elephant, Mkomazi also holds populations of lesser kudu, gerenuk, oryx, eland, giraffe, zebra, hyena, dikdik and gazelle. The reserve has a wide variety of indigenous reptiles including snakes, lizards and crocodiles. The African wild dogs have recently been introduced to the region.

For bird watchers, more than 400 species of birds have been identified at the reserve including sunbird, tawny eagle, the go-away bird, ostrich, kestrel, buzzard, starling, weaver birds, kingfisher, hornbill, and herons.