Tanzania Hunting Safari

Hunting in Tanzania – A Timeless Wildlife Legacy

Tanzania has long been celebrated for its outstanding hunting opportunities and exceptional trophy quality. The country boasts Africa’s highest concentration of heavy-maned lions, a thriving leopard population, and vast herds of buffalo, along with an extraordinary range of plains game. Species such as Roan and Sable antelope, Eland, Greater Kudu, and Sitatunga thrive here, while the semi-arid northeastern regions support unique game like Gerenuk, Lesser Kudu, and Oryx. In higher altitudes, hunters may also encounter rarities like the Masai Bushbuck, Red Duiker, Mountain Reedbuck, and Suni.

A remarkable 75% of Tanzania’s landmass remains wilderness—protected as national parks, game reserves, or hunting concessions. These landscapes are unfenced, allowing wildlife to roam freely across natural migration paths and between hunting areas, offering an authentic and unpredictable wilderness experience.

Tanzania is not only rich in wildlife but also in its incredible ecological diversity. From the semi-desert regions of the northeast, to open plains and thornbush in the north, wetlands and swamps in the northwest, and expansive Miombo woodlands found across the country, every region presents a unique terrain. This diversity supports a wide range of habitats, creating ideal conditions for a vast variety of game species—making Tanzania one of the last strongholds of truly wild hunting in Africa.

Hunting Area

Hunting in Tanzania is not allowed in national parks, but takes place in designated hunting blocks or Game Reserves such as:

  • Selous Game Reserve (now part of Nyerere National Park)

  • Rungwa Game Reserve

  • Maswa Game Reserve

  • Ugalla Game Reserve

  • Burigi-Chato, Mbomipa, and private hunting concessions

Game Animals

1. Plains Game:

  • Impala

  • Warthog

  • Bushbuck

  • Waterbuck

  • Hartebeest

  • Zebra

  • Wildebeest

2.  Big Five Game :

  • Elephant

  • Lion

  • Leopard

  • Buffalo

  • (Rhino is strictly protected and not hunted)

Licensing and Regulations

Conducted only by licensed professional hunters and tour outfitters.

Hunters must acquire a Game License and a Trophy Export Certificate for each animal.

The Wildlife Division allocates quotas and monitors activity to ensure sustainability.

Clients shall only be permitted to hunt those animals for which their permit is issued (subject to quota availability). By Tanzania Law only hunting clients are permitted to hunt. Any observers who wish to hunt will result in upgrading the observer to hunting client status, which will mean adjustment of all fees, including basic safari fees and all
Government fees.

The hunting season runs from 1st July through to 31st December. The driest months are July through October, when you can hunt throughout Tanzania. With the onset of the rainy season in November in the West of Tanzania, RHS tend to concentrate on the Northern blocks for the latter part of the sea

General Information

1. Medical Information

Tanzania is a malarial area and precautions must be taken. RHS recommend that you check with your doctor or local health authority for details of health regulations and immunization requirements. There are comprehensive medical boxes in camps, however, please ensure that you take with you any special medication you require. All our professional hunters are equipped with a satellite phone in case of an emergency.

Flying Doctor Medical Service

This is an air medical service, which will come to your assistance in the case of a genuine emergency. Each flight carries a fully qualified nurse and life saving medical equipment. Flying Doctor has a radio link with its headquarters in Nairobi.

2. Air Charters

In order to maximise your hunting time and avoid fatigue air charter flights are provided, to camps, for most camp changes and out of camps. The majority of camps have their own airstrips. Because of the expense involved, air charter flights are shared. The number of passengers on each air charter is entirely up to the air carrier. Please note that most incoming safaris will use the same aircraft as the outgoing safaris, on the same “travel day” and that RHS reserves the right to transport fresh food supplies from time to time.

Commercial Airline Flights

Arusha’s international airport is Kilimanjaro. KLM have a daily flight with excellent connections through Amsterdam.

3. Visa Requirements

Citizens of certain countries are required to obtain visas for entry into Tanzania. As the list of countries changes from time to time, it is important to check with your local authorities or travel consultant regarding current visa regulations.

4. Communications

Each hunting camp is supplied with a powerful short wave radio. The frequency is monitored by RHS in Arusha. During every safari communication can be established with base, as well as with other camps. For special needs or emergencies messages from home can be relayed to safari clients. Satellite telephones can be arranged by special request.

Time

GMT plus three (3) hours.

Electricity

230v AC but all camps have 110v AC Converters.

5. The Climate

Owing to Tanzania’s close proximity to the Equator, the annual variation on temperature is small. The inland climate, due to altitude, is cool in the morning and evening, but warm at mid-day. The average temperature during the day is about 80 degrees F (27 degrees C) and at night this can drop to 60 degrees F (15 degrees C). The coast has a warm tropical climate during the day and temperature drops at night.

Recommended Clothing

Bush clothes should be loose, comfortable and sturdy. Dark green heavy cotton is best. Laundry is done daily; flat irons with live coals are used for ironing. East Africa, due to its altitude, can sometimes be cold. A warm duffel jacket or heavy jersey is necessary in some areas for the cool of the evening, night and morning. An anti tsetse fly jacket is recommended such as the Bug Tamer, available in the United States.

Hunting Season

  • The legal hunting season runs from July 1st to December 31st.

  • The dry season (June–October) is preferred for better visibility and access.

What to Expect on a Hunting Safari

  • Duration: Typically ranges from 7 to 21 days, depending on species targeted.
  • Camp: Mobile tented camps or permanent lodges inside the hunting concession.
  • Guides: An experienced professional hunter, tracker, and camp staff assist you.
  • Style: Walking, tracking on foot, and sometimes using 4×4 vehicles.