Hwange National Park
Encyclopedia
Hwange National Park is the largest game reserve in Zimbabwe
. The park lies in the west, on the main road between Bulawayo
and the widely noted Victoria Falls
.
It was founded around 1928 by a 22-year-old game ranger, Ted Davidson. He befriended the Manchester
-born James Jones who was the stationmaster for the then Rhodesian Railways at Dete
which is very near Hwange Main Camp. Jones managed incoming supplies for the park.
Hwange National Park covers over 14,600 square kilometres. The park is close to the edge of the Kalahari desert, a region with little water and very sparse, xerophile
vegetation.
The Park hosts 105 mammal species, including 19 large herbivores and eight large carnivores. All Zimbabwe's specially protected animals are to be found in Hwange and it is the only protected area where gemsbok
and brown hyena
occur in reasonable numbers. The population of African wild dog
s to be found in Hwange is thought to be of one of the largest surviving groups in Africa
today.
Elephants have been enormously successful in Hwange and the population has increased to far above that naturally supported by such an area. However there have been consecutive years of drought in the Hwange region and this population of elephants has put a lot of strain on the resources of the park. There has been a lot of debate on how to deal with this, and culling may well be the only solution.
In addition, overnight camping is permitted at some of the platforms overlooking waterholes; bookings must be made in advance with the National Parks board.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. The park lies in the west, on the main road between Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
and the widely noted Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...
.
It was founded around 1928 by a 22-year-old game ranger, Ted Davidson. He befriended the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
-born James Jones who was the stationmaster for the then Rhodesian Railways at Dete
Dete
Dete is a small railway re-crewing depot and village on the Bulawayo-Hwange-Victoria Falls railway line in Zimbabwe, approximately north of Bulawayo and south of Hwange, lying within the Hwange National Park.-Features:...
which is very near Hwange Main Camp. Jones managed incoming supplies for the park.
Hwange National Park covers over 14,600 square kilometres. The park is close to the edge of the Kalahari desert, a region with little water and very sparse, xerophile
Xerophile
Xerophiles are extremophilic organisms that can grow and reproduce in conditions with a low availability of water, also known as water activity. Water activity is a measure of the amount of water within a substrate that an organism can use to support sexual growth. Xerophiles are often said to...
vegetation.
The Park hosts 105 mammal species, including 19 large herbivores and eight large carnivores. All Zimbabwe's specially protected animals are to be found in Hwange and it is the only protected area where gemsbok
Gemsbok
The gemsbok or gemsbuck is a large antelope in the Oryx genus. It is native to the arid regions of southern Africa, but formerly some authorities included the East African Oryx as a subspecies...
and brown hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
occur in reasonable numbers. The population of African wild dog
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf...
s to be found in Hwange is thought to be of one of the largest surviving groups in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
today.
Elephants have been enormously successful in Hwange and the population has increased to far above that naturally supported by such an area. However there have been consecutive years of drought in the Hwange region and this population of elephants has put a lot of strain on the resources of the park. There has been a lot of debate on how to deal with this, and culling may well be the only solution.
Accommodation
The park has three permanent camps.- Main Camp: south, easily accessible by tarred road from the main BulawayoBulawayoBulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
–Victoria FallsVictoria FallsThe Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...
road. - Sinamatella: north, several hours' drive through the park from Main Camp, or a shorter journey on a dirt road from the main Bulawayo–Victoria Falls road. Set on an escarpment above a waterhole, overlooking miles of bush.
- Robins Camp: north, remote and may not have provisions or fuel.
In addition, overnight camping is permitted at some of the platforms overlooking waterholes; bookings must be made in advance with the National Parks board.
External links
- Protected Planet page on Hwange
- Center on Crisis Reporting Zimbabwe: Human Conflict/Environmental Consequences
- Zimbabwe crisis hits game parks
- Map of Hwange National Park