Hwange National Park has no shortage of wildlife, boasting one of the highest diversities of animals in southern Africa, with an estimated 108 species of mammal and over 400 bird species.
Located on the border with Botswana, Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park, covering an area of around 14,600 square kilometres. Due to its vast size, the scenery, game and vegetation differ greatly from one part to the next, ranging from semi-desert scrubland in the south on the edge of the Kalahari, to grasslands, granite hills and beautiful teak, acacia and mopane woodlands in the north.Hwange achieved game reserve status in 1928, the year Ted Davison became the park’s first warden. It was Ted who implemented the park’s artificially pumped waterholes, which to this day attract large herds of elephants through the dry winter season from June to October. Although watching elephants come and go is an undisputed highlight of any visit to the park, there is much more to Hwange than just elephants. It’s one of the few remaining strongholds for endangered wild dogs and a home to leopard, cheetah, endangered white rhino, buffalo, sable and lion. In fact, Hwange is one of the few places in Africa where lions habitually prey on elephants.
The park’s camps and lodges are known for having some of the best guides in Africa, who delight in taking guests not just on standard game drives but on after-dark night drives and on walking safaris through the African bush – a spine-tingling experience that makes vehicle safaris seem dull by comparison.