The National Park was established in 1964 by detachment from Rungwa Game Reserve to protect an important population of elephant and rhino.Ruaha National Park located in Iringa, Mbeya. It covers an Area of 1,300,000 ha with an Altitude of 750 to 1,900 meters. The National Park lies on the western bank of the Great Ruaha river in the rain-shadow of the Udzungwa mountains , which lie some 80 km to the south-east. The western boundary is formed by the Rungwa Game Reserve.

The park is largely a dry habitat southern extension of the Masai steppe. Average annual rainfall is only about 520 mm, making it one of the driest protected areas in Tanzania. The Great Ruaha River runs for 130 km along the south-eastern boundary and is perennial, drying out only in the driest of years. The southern and western areas of the park are mainly miombo woodland dominated by Brachystegia. This grades into Commiphora - Combretum woodland in the north-east with extensive areas of Terminalia- and Adansonia dominated plains in the central areas.

It is located in the Admin region ofIringa, Mbeyacovering anarea of 1,300,000 ha with an Altitude 750 to 1,900 meters above sea level. The National Park was established in 1964 by detachment from Rungwa Game Reserve to protect an important population of elephant and rhino. The National Park lies on the western bank of the Great Ruaha river in the rain-shadow of the Udzungwa mountains, which lie some 80 km to the south-east. The western boundary is formed by the Rungwa Game Reserve. The site is largely a dry habitat southern extension of the Masai steppe.

Average annual rainfall is only about 520 mm, making it one of the driest protected areas in Tanzania. The Great Ruaha river runs for 130 km along the south-eastern boundary and is perennial, drying out only in the driest of years. The southern and western areas of the park are mainly miombo woodland dominated by Brachystegia. This grade into Commiphora - Combretum woodland in the north-east with extensive areas of Terminalia- and Adansoniadominated plains in the central areas.

Some 410 species have been recorded for the park, but this figure is almost certainly incomplete as only the main tourist areas are well known. This total includes seven species of the Zambezian biome. Ruaha holds important populations of two Tanzanian endemics of the dry central plateau both Cosmopsarus unicolor and Agapornispersonatus are reasonably common. Large flocks of Ciconiaciconia and Ciconiaabdimii frequent the park when conditions are suitable and especially on passage. In the past, significant numbers of Falco eleonorae occurred, but there are few recent records.