National Parks in Zimbabwe
The Southern African country Zimbabwe was named after one of the continent’s largest stone ruins, the so-called Great Zimbabwe. In the past, the rulers from this region played a decisive role; today, the country is best known…
More than ten percent of Zimbabwe's national territory is designated as national park, in addition there are other protected areas and reserves. Hardly any other country has such a large proportion of its land area designated as national park.
The Matobo National Park
Founded in 1926, the Matobo National Park is the oldest national park in the neighboring country of South Africa. On a largely untouched area of 3,100 km², larger herds of kudus and elands, giraffes and zebras live. Occasionally, rhinos can be spotted in the park or eagles of various species can be observed during their forays through the mountainous rocky landscape.
The area is impressive not only because of its flora and fauna, but also because of the contrasting region. In the Mpopoma river valley, wide, lush grasslands create a unique picture. Away from there lie the fascinating Matobo Mountains. Rock paintings bear witness to the fact that the first humans settled this area thousands of years ago. For this reason, UNESCO declared this area a World Natural Heritage Site.
The Mana Pools National Park
In the course of the designation of further areas, five national parks were appointed by the government of Zimbabwe alone in 1975. The Mana Pools National Park in the west of the country is one of them, it is almost 2,500 km² in size and has also been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site since 1984. Most of the year, the surreal landscape is not an ideal place for wild animals, during the rainy season the park changes its entire appearance. At this time, the tributaries of the Zambezi fill with water, creating real lake landscapes. The Mana Pools National Park blooms and attracts countless animal species.
Numerous Nile crocodiles and hippopotamuses find dreamlike conditions during the rainy season. Elephants and buffaloes move through the grass savannah, lions, cheetahs and leopards roam the national park in search of prey.
The Chimanimani National Park
The Chimanimani National Park, which was designated in 1950, is located in the highlands of Zimbabwe. It is not known for its biodiversity, but for its unique landscape. This transboundary park connects two protected areas, one of them on the side of Mozambique. Both parks are to be merged into a large national park in a few years. The name of the new protected area is to be Chimanimani Transfrontier Conservation Area.
The park attracts above all hikers from all over the world who appreciate the challenging mountain landscape. Smaller paths lead through the park. Some of them were already used by slave traders hundreds of years ago, such as the remote Skeleton Pass. Small streams flow through the park, which can be used by hikers as a source of water. There are no accommodation options, but there are many caves that can be used as accommodation.
