Katavi National Park

Isolated, unspoilt and seldom visited, Katavi is a true wilderness, providing the few intrepid souls who make it there with a thrilling taste of Africa as it must have been a century ago. It is situated in Southwest Tanzania, east of Lake Tanganyika.

The focus is on Hippos and crocodiles. The main area for game viewing within the park is the Katuma River and its associated floodplains such as the seasonal Lakes Katavi and Chada. During the rainy season, these lush, marshy lakes are a heaven for myriads of waterbirds and for Tanzania’s densest concentrations of hippo and crocodile.

Bloody fights between males. Towards the end of the dry season (August – October), up to two hundred hippos might wallow together in any marginal pool of sufficient depth. As so many hippos are gathered together in one place, male rivalry heats up – bloody territorial fights are an everyday occurrence with the vanquished male being forced out onto the open plains until it gathers sufficient confidence to mount another challenge.