The Place of the Elephants!
In October 2015 I revisited a Zimbabwe keen to move into a new era.
Location of Gonarazhou
I was to experience some new and some old haunts. Of which to me the highlight was Gonarazhou National Park, deep in the far south of the country. This incredible destination is well away from the standard safari circuits further north. For many years I had heard legendary tales about this wild and remote semi arid area. Gonarazhou has a similar topography to northern Kruger and Gaza in Mozambique which it borders as part of the vast Great Limopo Transfrontier Park.
This huge area aims to re-establish historical migration routes and thus restore fragile regional ecosystems. Far away from the well worn routes that most safari go-ers visit in other parts of the country. This is a park for safari connoisseurs where you truly feel as if you have it to yourself.
Diversity
The combined park will include over 500 species of birds, 147 species of mammals. You’ll see most of the big species: including the rare King cheetah, Nyala and Suni. For birders the park is a dream location since it sits on important migration channel through the mountains from the Indian Ocean.
While we were there our guide – the famous safari guide Clive Stockil – was overjoyed to show us a Palm Nut Vulture, not seen before in this area. Wild dog packs are aslo thriving here and sightings occur on a regular basis.
Elephants
But the stars of the park are definitely the huge herds of elephants! They number almost 11,000 and who are numerous and feisty!
At one point on our trip we encountered a huge herd and were chased for some distance by them, led by their irate matriarch. An experience I’ll never forget.
Elsewhere in Africa, the elephants are often so used to humans that they don’t react. I found that it made a pleasant (and thrilling) change to be reminded that these are wild animals which earned their place in the Top 5 most dangerous animals list of the early African explorers.
A visit to Gonarezhou is a must see destination for any serious and discerning safari aficionado. Chances are you won’t see another person as you explore this vast pristine wilderness area by vehicle and on foot.
Exciting encounters with the parks feisty and opinionated elephants are guaranteed. Over a few days the chances of meeting one of the numerous and captivating wild dog packs is also highly likely.
Numerous plains game including the beautiful Nyala and Sable as well as all the big cats are also found amidst some of Africa’s most diverse and stunning scenery. From thick palm riverine forests and ‘fever trees’, straight out of Kipling’s Just So Story The Elephant’s Child, to a vast fortress like escarpment reminiscent the Land that Time Forgot.
Birders won’t be disappointed either. With an impressive 420 odd of Zimbabwe 650 species represented including four resident vultures, racquet tailed roller, palm collared thrush, lemon breasted canary, southern banded snake eagle, barred long tailed cuckoo, and Pels fishing owl…. to name just a few of the highlights.
