Ruaha got its name from the Great Ruaha River that serves as a helping hand for the animals of the park in the dry season.

A high concentration of animals gathers around the water source to have the water making a great view for the visitors.The banks of the Ruaha are a permanent hunting ground for lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and the rare and endangered African wild dog, which prey on the waterbuck, impala and gazelle that come to the river to drink.

Game is prolific including impala, giraffe, waterbuck, zebra, bushbuck, and buffalo. Both greater and lesser kudu are present, as well as roan and sable antelope. There are large prides of lion, often twenty or more spotted and striped hyena, several packs of wild dog and leopard.

The bird life is mostly colourful, and the most graceful are emerald spotted doves, brown parrots and crested barbets. 500 bird species are recorded and the park is truly a birders paradise.

The park is an asylum for both migratory and inhabited birds. The rainy season offers the best bird watching opportunity. Some of the notable birds found at the park are African ashy starling, fish eagle, black-billed bustard, bateleurs, Eleanora’s falcon, crested barbet, emerald spotted wood dove, long crested eagle, Goliath heron and white billied go away bird among the rest.