Gonarezhou-Nationalpark

IUCN Category II - National Park

Chilojo Cliffs in the northern part of the Gonarezhou National Park

The Gonarezhou National Park ( Gonarezhou National Park ) is named after the Hwange National Park is the second largest national park in Zimbabwe. Together with the Kruger National Park in South Africa and the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and some smaller protected areas it forms the cross-national Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Gonarezhou means place of many elephants.

  • 7.1 park entrances
  • 7.2 Roads in the National Park
  • 7.3 accommodation
  • 7.4 Miscellaneous
  • 8.1 General sources
  • 8.2 Notes and references

Location

The Gonarezhou National Park is located in the southeast of the country in the province of Masvingo on the border with Mozambique. The rivers Mwenezi in the southwest to the northeast and Save form natural boundaries of the national park.

History

The Gonarezhou National Park was established in 1975 from a protected zone established in 1968. Since 1934, existed the Gonarezhou Game Reserve on the territory of present-day park. During the civil war in Zimbabwe the park for visitors was locked and only opened again in 1994. Due to the continuing even after the reopening of the civil war in neighboring Mozambique and the few visitors to the park was never really developed for tourism. With the beginning of the violent land reform President Robert Mugabe in 1999, up to one third of the park occupied by the surrounding living Chitsa population and destroyed by settlements, agricultural use as well as poaching. Since 2004, the government attempted to resettle the squatters and to work on the realization of the year previously adopted is the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park project. Due to the ongoing unrest, high inflation and lack of tourists the country lacks sufficient financial resources to do so.

Landscape

For the most part of the National Park is located less than 400 meters above sea level in the so-called Lowveld. In the southern part of the railway line from Rutenga cuts through to Maputo, Mozambique the park. In the northern part of the round river cuts through the park before it empties into the Sava river just before the Mozambican border. Here is the 162- meters above sea level lowest point of Zimbabwe. Compared to the African highlands, the temperatures are higher in the Lowveld and less rain.

Rivers in the park

Most of the smaller rivers in the park only lead to or after the rainy season. Year-round lead only the two great rivers round and save water. In dry years, the water level of Mwenezi is strongly affected by dams and water withdrawals in the upper river.

Cliffs

In the north, grandiose landscapes with sandstone rocks as the Chilojo Cliffs have formed along the rivers.

Vegetation

The park grass savannahs, scrublands and forests alternate (including baobab and acacia mountain ). In recent decades, the vegetation has changed in many parts of the park. Forest and thicket were pushed back. Bush savannas and grasslands are spreading.

Wildlife

The national park is known despite its problems for its diverse wildlife. He is particularly known for its large bird population. Many antelope species live in the park, including the nyala antelope and the Moschusböckchen. Of the Big Five counting animals elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard can be found.

Both the white rhino and the black rhino are already long gone from the park. A first attempt 1969-1971 failed to resettle in the area of ​​today's national parks black rhinos. In the 1990s, the last rhino was killed by poachers. Another attempt will now be started.

1992 performs a drought in the disappearance of Lichtenstein antelope. Hundreds of elephants had to be resettled in other protected areas.

The wildlife in the park suffers greatly from the continued poaching. Especially for the African elephant the situation in the park after the relaxation of ivory trade 15 July 2008, is now expected to be worse.

Petroglyphs

In the national park petroglyphs are detected by white rhinos in two places in the northern area. The age of the rock art is, however, estimated to be only 500 to 700 years.

Infrastructure / tourism

For a long time there was Gonarezhou National Park virtually no tourist infrastructure. The roads were in a very bad condition. Accommodation ( Lodges ) ever existed none. There were only a few of designated campsites sites with a minimum of decoration in the park.

Only in 2006 were built by the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority a camp and three lodges and 170 km road repaired.

Park entrances

The park is accessible via two entrances. The region around the rivers round and Save can be reached by road from Chiredzi direction Harare. 18 km behind Chiredzi branches off a gravel road. From the street to the park, there are still 34 km. Access to the southern region branches off from the road between Masvingo to Beitbridge from about 20 kilometers south of Rutenga. From the main road to the park, there are still 105 km.

Roads in the National Park

The park can mostly only be visited with an SUV. Many roads are still in poor condition.

Accommodations

  • Lodges Swimuwini rest camp
  • Mabalauta camping site
  • Chipinda Pools Camp
  • Nyahungwe
  • Madumbini
  • Bopomela
  • Lisoda
  • Gota
  • Chitove
  • Chamaluvati
  • Chilojo
  • Mahenye Safari Lodge (adjacent )
  • Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge (adjacent )
  • Senuko Safari Lodge (adjacent )

Others

In the park there are no shopping.

Swell

General sources

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority

Masvingo Province Hwange-Nationalpark Big five game African bush elephant White rhinoceros Chizarira-Nationalpark Kazuma-Pan-Nationalpark Mana Pools Matobo-Nationalpark Nyanga-Nationalpark
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