Mlele is crammed with wildlife that makes one of the greatest coffers of Tanzania. Rukwa and Ugalla are the conservation areas with the status of Game Reserves and are managed by the Wildlife Division while the rest of the conservation areas are under the jurisdiction of the central Authority. These areas have the status of Game Controlled Areas and Open Areas and buffer the Katavi National Park and Rukwa Game Reserve.
The wilderness of Katavi national park have high diversity of landscapes, wildlife and vegetation and is characterized by miombo woodlands with plenty of Hippopotamus,Buffalo, Zebra, Sable and Roan antelopes, Topi, Greater Kudu, Oribi, Lichtenstein Hartebeest, Elephants, Lions, Leopards and the rare Puku antelopes with varieties of birds. There are eight hunting blocks namely;-
Msima Game Controlled Area is divided into two areas: Msima I and Msima II covering a total area of 2000 km2.
Mlele Game Controlled Area is divided into two areas: Mulele South and Mulele North covering a total area of 3,000km2.
Inyonga Game Controlled Area covers an area of 3,500km2 and is divided into two western and central.
Rukwa Game Reserve covers an area of 4,194km2
Ugalla Game Reserve is found in two regions of Tabora and Katavi.
Rungwa River Game Controlled Area
Tourism and Tourist’s Attractions
Presence of Katavi National Park Rukwa game reserve and Game controlled areas make the District a potential area for photographic and viewing tourism (in national park) and hunting in Rukwa Gr and game controlled areas. The Katavi national Park is the third larget national park in Tanzania with an area of 447,100 ha. The national park is located in Mlele, Mpimbwe and Nsimbo district councils with Mlele possessing the largest land area of the national park. Extensive wildlife species are found in the national park but its uniqueness lies on animals moving together in large group. Elephant, giraffe, buffalo, lions and so many others are widely seen. June to January each year is high season for tours in Katavi National Park. Tourist hunting done in game controlled areas found in the district also make Mlele DC important destination for wildlife tourism and hunting
Figure 1:Group of elands parading across Katisunga Plains
Availability of good infrastructure such as accommodation facilities, telecommunication services, roads, banks/bureau de change services and tour operators is an important tool for the development of competitive tourism industry. Accommodation facilities are important in attracting tourists. Therefore, information about hotels, camp sites and lodges is vital for the tourists, as it helps them to choose the type of accommodation they like as well as compare the quality against prices charged. Mlele district council has a significant number of accommodation facilities and all of them being guest houses. By the end of 2013 there were a total of 23 guest houses in Mlele which most of them were of low standard. Guest houses concentrated more in Inyonga ward where the headquarters of the district council is located. Hotels are not available in Mlele DC.
