In fact, it is part of a vast shallow basin drained by 7 slow-moving rivers, the Malagarasi, Moyowosi, Nikonga, Ugalla, Kigosi, Nikonga, and Gombe (not to be confused with Gombe Stream where the chimps live) that wind sinuous paths through an immense and complicated network of swamps, plains lakes, and woodlands. These rivers eventually join up into the Malagarasi River which empties into Lake Tanganyika at Ilagala. The whole system is more than 92,000 sq. km. in the area which makes it larger than the whole of Portugal! It has been estimated that it supplies almost 30% of Lake Tanganyika’s freshwater.

The whole area has been designated a wetland of international importance (Ramsar site)

Kigosi National Park is at the northeast of the complex where shallow undulating Miombo woodlands are drained by the Nikonga River as it joins the complexities of the Moyowosi wetlands.

This is all challenging terrain and has ensured that large parts have hardly ever been visited or explored, and Africa is endowed with an extravagant quantity and quality of wildlife. It is home to Africa’s largest populations of that rare and somewhat sinister stork, the shoebill, as well as the tall and elegant wattled crane. There are huge flocks of pygmy geese (probably Africa’s largest). 

The Moyowosi wetlands also have Africa’s largest populations of Cape clawless otters. Big game abounds – Lion, leopard, buffalo, crocodile, topi, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, sitatunga, warthog, baboon, zebra, sable, roan, eland, bushbuck, oribi, common and Bohor reedbuck, hyena, hippo, and Defassa waterbuck.

The terrain is fascinating. Miombo woodlands fringe grassy flood plains dotted with palm trees that surround huge lakes and swamps, many of which carry floating palm and papyrus islands. The water is gin clear. Many of the lion’s pride here have learned to chase buffalo into shallow swamps and to kill them by drowning before dragging them out to dismember and eat.