Matusadona National Park
Encyclopedia
Matusadona is a game reserve park in northern Zimbabwe
. The park takes its name from the local Matuzviadonha Hills and is a stunning combination of flat plains and rugged mountain country. The meaning of “Matuzviadonha” is “falling dung” - which was probably a comment on the sight of elephants dropping dung balls as they struggled up the hills. The name is often abbreviated as "The Matus" in colloquial speech by locals.
Matusadona boasts a unique combination of pristine and rugged wilderness, together with the water frontage of Lake Kariba
. It is one of the last remaining sanctuaries of the endangered Black Rhinoceros
. It is commonly recognized as having the second largest concentration of wild lion
s in Africa after Ngorongoro Crater. Its relatively poor accessibility by road and extremely harsh internal network of roads keep the crowds and traffic low - iit is accessible by boat from Kariba
and from the Bumi Hills airstrip.
Matusadona National Park is one of several protected wildlife areas with shorelines on Lake Kariba. Some 338,000 acres (1370 km²) in area, it is bounded on the west by the Ume river and on the east by the Sanyati River. Two-thirds of it lies south of the Zambezi Escarpment
formed by the 1968 foot (600 m) high Matusadona Hills from which it takes its name.
Many of the animals rescued during Operation Noah
when Lake Kariba was filling (following the construction of Kariba Dam
) were released into Matusadona, which now holds strong populations of most mammals occurring in the Zambezi
Valley. Buffalo
are especially prominent and herds of up to 1,000-strong often congregate along the shoreline in the dry season.
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 takes its name from the local Matuzviadonha Hills and is a stunning combination of flat plains and rugged mountain country. The meaning of “Matuzviadonha” is “falling dung” - which was probably a comment on the sight of elephants dropping dung balls as they struggled up the hills. The name is often abbreviated as "The Matus" in colloquial speech by locals.
Matusadona boasts a unique combination of pristine and rugged wilderness, together with the water frontage of Lake Kariba
Lake Kariba
Lake Kariba is the world's largest artificial lake and reservoir. It lies 1300 kilometers upstream from the Indian Ocean, along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe...
. It is one of the last remaining sanctuaries of the endangered Black Rhinoceros
Black Rhinoceros
The Black Rhinoceros or Hook-lipped Rhinoceros , is a species of rhinoceros, native to the eastern and central areas of Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Angola...
. It is commonly recognized as having the second largest concentration of wild lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s in Africa after Ngorongoro Crater. Its relatively poor accessibility by road and extremely harsh internal network of roads keep the crowds and traffic low - iit is accessible by boat from Kariba
Kariba
Kariba is a town in Mashonaland West province, Zimbabwe, located close to the Kariba Dam at the northwestern end of Lake Kariba, near the Zambian border. According to the 1992 Population Census, the town had a population of 20,736....
and from the Bumi Hills airstrip.
Matusadona National Park is one of several protected wildlife areas with shorelines on Lake Kariba. Some 338,000 acres (1370 km²) in area, it is bounded on the west by the Ume river and on the east by the Sanyati River. Two-thirds of it lies south of the Zambezi Escarpment
Zambezi Escarpment
Zambezi Escarpment is a name used for the escarpments forming both sides of the rift valley or graben in which lie the middle Zambezi river and Lake Kariba...
formed by the 1968 foot (600 m) high Matusadona Hills from which it takes its name.
Many of the animals rescued during Operation Noah
Operation Noah (Kariba)
Operation Noah was a wildlife rescue operation in Rhodesia lasting from 1958 to 1964, caused by the creation of Lake Kariba on the Zambezi by the Kariba Dam. In the late 1950s, Rhodesia became home to the world’s largest man-made dam - a hydroelectric power station built across the Zambezi...
when Lake Kariba was filling (following the construction of Kariba Dam
Kariba Dam
The Kariba Dam is a hydroelectric dam in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is one of the largest dams in the world, standing tall and long.- Construction :...
) were released into Matusadona, which now holds strong populations of most mammals occurring in the Zambezi
Zambezi
The Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa, and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The area of its basin is , slightly less than half that of the Nile...
Valley. Buffalo
African Buffalo
The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear...
are especially prominent and herds of up to 1,000-strong often congregate along the shoreline in the dry season.