ZIMBABWE - Hwange National Park

Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s primary wildlife reserve and supports 107 species of game including 20,000 elephant, 15,000 buffalo, 3,000 zebra, 6,000 impala, 3,000 giraffe and 2,000 sable. It also has hyena, rhino, wildebeest, baboon, cheetah, lion, leopard, hippo and is one of the last refuges for the few remaining packs of wild dogs. It is also an excellent place for bird life and there are at least 400 species in the area.  The park was created in 1929 from previously uneconomic ranching land and is the largest of Zimbabwe’s national parks - 14,650 sq km (or 5,700 sq miles).   Despite being the prime wildlife area, Hwange is not particularly overcrowded with vehicles and these mainly concentrate on short loop drives within the surrounds of the Main Camp. The best time to visit is the dry season (September and October) when animals gather around the water holes (many of which are artificial and are filled with petrol-powered pumps). 

The enormous elephant population in Hwange is actually quite a problem and culling is unfortunately required. The elephant destroys the natural habitat by smashing down the trees to eat from the higher branches - or sometimes just because the tree is in its way ! Some parts of Hwange look like a tornado has just hit the trees. Yet, perhaps oddly, the elephants can be remarkably quiet and are capable of delicate manoeuvres when they so desire.
Right: everyone has to give way to the elephants;  Below: another tree bites the dust as the elephant stomps onward.

Hwange comprises classic Kalahari fringe landscapes: mopane woodland, with more exotic hardwoods growing along the seasonal river beds; open meadows parched and yellow in the winter, green and knee-high in the summer if the rains fall. Hwange is not just about elephant - it has all the Big Five and many more. Some of the other Hwange residents which are easily spotted are shown below.

Hwange also has some fascinating plants including the Sausage Tree.  This is one of Zimbabwe’s strangest trees and is named after the huge sausage shaped brown fruits which can grow to over 1 metre (3 ft) in length and 18 cm (7 inches) in diameter.  The fruit is dried and turned into a paste by for the treatment of human skin cancer.  This appears to be more than just wishful thinking as the sausage-tree cream is gaining international medical recognition as a potential cure for basal-cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer associated with aging and the prolonged exposure to the sun.

Above: one of the individual ensuite lodges at Makalolo Plains deep in the parks southern and remote Linkwasha Wilderness area.

There are many excellent camps and lodges in Hwange with most being located around the ‘main camp’ area.  Wildlife is good in the area but there are naturally many more vehicles around this part of the park.  Places here having good guides and facilities include Katchana Tree Lodge, Sable Valley Lodge, Kanondo Tree Camp and Sikumi Tree Lodge. The Hwange Safari Lodge is also in this area and is good if you are driving yourself around the park. If you want a more remote experience, much deeper into he park and in some of the very best game locations there are some highly recommended places with professional guides that may also accompany you on foot safaris.  These include Makalolo Plains, The Hide, Giraffe Springs, Chokamella, Chimwara Camp and Jijima. 

All Photographs and Text © Stuart M Melvin