Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park and in our opinion one of the most beautiful parks in Africa. The park is spreading over an area of 14,651 km2. Formerly occupied by the San bushmen, the Nhanzwa, and latterly the royal hunting ground for Matabele king, Mzilikazi, the area was finally gazetted for wildlife conservation in 1928. The wildlife did not escape the attentions of the white hunters who also had their opportunity to bag a few trophies in the late 1800s and early 1900s before the park came into being. Hwange is quite different now.
A haven for over 100 mammal and 400 bird species, the park protects populations of all of Zimbabwe’s endangered species, elephants numbering in excess of 20,000 (up from around 4,000 when the park was proclaimed), and what is thought to be one of the largest populations of African wild dog left in the world. Large prides of lion and buffalo are frequently seen here and you have a good chance of spotting leopard and rhino in addition to cheetah and spotted hyena. The wild and woolly brown hyena also occurs here and is something of a rarity.
A significant feature of Hwange is the absence of permanent surface water. Animals rely heavily on a series of waterholes, many of which dry up completely during drought years. The Friends of Hwange now maintain a number of these waterholes throughout the year thereby ensuring the livelihoods of thousands of animals, and excellent game viewing as wildlife congregates at these points. The landscape is also diverse, dense teak forest in the north gives on to Kalahari sandveld in the south. In between, open grassy plains lined with acacia lie alongside mopane woodland and islands of ilala palms. The seasons, too, impose dramatic changes on the park. During the hot summer rains between December and March the bush becomes lush and the wildlife disperses. Between June and October, the winter months see the bush rapidly dry and thin out, all but a few waterholes remain, and the wildlife is concentrated and easy to spot.
Friends Of Hwange
In 2005, a serious drought caused all but a couple of the waterholes in Hwange National Park to dry up. In the absence of any permanent surface water throughout the park, these waterholes are vital to the survival of all animals in the park. That year, over 1000 elephant died along with many thousands of other species. Desperate scenes were witnessed as herds of buffalo and impala, travelling long distances, arrived at a waterhole only to find it dry. All they could do was rest awhile before turning away to search for water elsewhere, or lying down to die. Elephant bullied their way through to hold their trunks at the pumps, depriving smaller animals of any chance to drink. To mitigate this distressing situation in future years, the Friends of Hwange formed a trust to try and keep as many waterholes supplied with water all year round. The Hide Safari Camp is proud to support this endeavour and the other work that Friends of Hwange undertakes. The camp is home to Friends of Hwange staff and helps to raise awareness and funding for the ongoing work.
If you would like to find out more, or kindly support this vital work, CLICK HERE to visit the Friends of Hwange web-site.