2023-08-25 07:20:37
He appears at the barrier to the national park as punctually as an ordered welcoming committee. With a swaying gait, the mighty bull elephant crosses the dry grass and then takes a break under two meter high solar panels. Shade is also welcome to him.
Established in 1928, about a three-hour drive from Victoria Falls and the airport, Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest protected area and is famous for its elephant herds. About 45,000 animals live in an area of around 14,500 square kilometers, which roughly corresponds to the size of Schleswig-Holstein.
Ranger Shepherd is waiting at the main camp. He is supposed to chauffeur us in a jeep to the Somalisa camp in northern Matabeleland. The Kennedy Vlei River Camp tour is our first game drive in the park. As in other protected areas, the rangers can tell you a lot about the animal and plant world.
Shepherd stops the jeep. Three giraffes stand on the path and don’t let themselves be disturbed while they are eating. A few zebras look over curiously from the plain. Green tree landscape alternates with savannah, yellow slopes merge into red sandy paths.
For the giraffes, the sight of the jeep doesn’t seem to be anything new – and certainly no reason to be deterred from eating
Source: dpa-tmn
The former watercourses in the region – the so-called Vleis – have long dried up. Shortly after the park was founded, around 60 artificial water points were created in the 1930s. Not only in the long dry periods are the chances of observing animals particularly good there.
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But we see the next elephants much earlier. As soon as we start driving again, an extended family of elephants breaks out from between the bushes and wants to get to the other side of the road. Elephant cows nudge the little ones with their trunks, young bulls peek at the car. Shepherd keeps the engine chugging on quietly to be on the safe side. So he could quickly increase the distance in reverse gear.
Hwange National Park is reaching its limits
Hwange National Park has been part of the Kavango-Zambezi Network of Protected Areas (KAZA) for around ten years. This area, about one and a half times the size of Germany, is considered to be the world’s largest cross-border network of protected areas.
“The elephant herds can move from Zimbabwe and Botswana to areas in Zambia and Angola where there is still enough space and food for them,” says Shepherd. That’s the vision. According to the environmental foundation WWF, however, there is still a lack of suitable corridors for the animals because settlements on the edge of the parks block the way.
When an elephant enters the road, it is better to keep your distance in the car
Source: dpa-tmn
One consequence of this: elephants unintentionally destroyed the harvests during their migrations in the villages on the edge of the park and spread fear among the people.
But according to WWF information, it is important that the elephants come to the other areas. Because the Hwange National Park is reaching its limits, the vegetation and biodiversity are suffering from the food requirements of the pachyderms.
“An adult elephant eats about 400 pounds of greens per day,” says Ranger Shepherd. 200 kilograms of tree bark, branches, bushes and grasses – extrapolated to the population of around 45,000 animals, that would correspond to around 9,000 tons a day.
The elephant population is growing again
The fact that the number of elephants in Hwange National Park and other areas in southern Africa has been growing again in recent years is good news: “The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) nevertheless puts it on the Red List of Endangered Species,” says Ranger Shepherd. He says: In the past 50 years, the population of savannah elephants has shrunk by at least 60 percent, and the population of the smaller African forest elephants even more.
Time for a rest: Ranger Shepherd quickly serves lunch at the jeep’s protective bar
Source: dpa-tmn
Elephants have been hunted for thousands of years. Their ivory is coveted as a trophy and for elaborate carvings. Just ten years ago, more than 80 elephants and other animals died in Hwange Park because poachers had poisoned many waterholes. A lot of commitment is still needed to ensure the conservation of African elephants. “It’s best if people from the villages also find work and learn about the animals,” says Shepherd.
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The animals also set the pace in the Somalisa luxury camp. “Come quickly,” says guest relations Egania. With the welcome drink in hand, we walk across a boardwalk. Two elephants quench their thirst in a former pool, more than a dozen pachyderms snort and splash at the nearby waterhole.
In the Somalisa camp, elephants have claimed a pool for themselves; a new one was then built for the guests
Source: dpa-tmn
“Shortly after the opening, the elephants confiscated our pool as a watering hole,” says Egania and laughs. “We had to build a new pool for the guests.” I make myself comfortable on a lounger by the old guest pool. One of the gray giants seems to keep my eyes on me just as much as I do on him.
The lions are drawn to the water
Shepherd’s walkie-talkie is crackling just a few minutes from camp during the afternoon game drive. “There are lions near the watering hole Kennedy 2,” he says and promptly steers the jeep there. As if out of nowhere, a lioness soon peels out of the pale yellow grass, followed by a second, then several lion cubs frolic towards the water. “Ten,” I count silently.
Lionesses at a water hole: 60 of these spots in the national park were created artificially
Source: dpa-tmn
Suddenly there is tension in the air. The king of the beasts appears, in double pack. The muscular big cats stride majestically towards the water. “The two are brothers,” Shepherd whispers. The male lions don’t stay long and start marking their territory: at the level of our open jeep, one of the lions turns its head, shakes its mane and lets out a loud roar. Fortunately, this demonstration of power seems to be enough for him; he turns away and saunters after his pack.
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As I fall asleep that evening, zebras, giraffes, elephants and lions pass by in my mind’s eye. Subliminally, I register every crackle and crackle. After all, only a tent wall separates me from the territory of the wild animals.
Source: Infographic WORLD
Tips and information for Zimbabwe:
Getting there: Victoria Falls Airport can be reached from Germany with various airlines with a changeover via Windhoek, Johannesburg or Addis Ababa. You can then get to Hwange National Park by rental car or in the form of organized safari tours lasting two to three days.
Best travel time: The dry season between April and November is ideal for safaris.
Entry: A tourist visa for Zimbabwe, for example, is available at Victoria Falls Airport on arrival – it is valid for 30 days and costs 30 US dollars, so that Foreign Office in its travel advice. You also need a valid passport.
Accommodation: There are different types of accommodation in Hwange National Park. The state camp offers rather simple overnight accommodation in lodges or cottages from the equivalent of around 40 euros per night, also for self-catering. For campers there are some pitches for rent near water holes, from about 30 euros per night and person. Luxurious accommodations such as the Somalisa Camp from African Bush Camps charge from around 500 euros per night and person for full board including a safari program.
Currency: According to the Foreign Office the US dollar was replaced as the current currency by a new national currency, the Zimbabwe dollar. However, it is still possible to pay in US dollars in most shops, hotels and restaurants. Many companies also prefer payment with it. The Foreign Office advises: “Check with your tour operator, hotel or lodge how you can make payments or receive cash.”
Health: Advice on malaria prophylaxis is advisable.
Additional Information: zimbabwetourism.net
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