Hwange National Park

Overview

Hwange National Park is not only one of the oldest but also Zimbabwe's largest and most popular natural park. 

It covers a colossal 5,657 square miles (14,651 km²) and lies in the country's northwestern corner on the main road between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, bordering Botswana. 

The park encompasses a good variety of habitats and is home to one of the world's largest populations of elephants, diverse fauna (including the Big Five), and a comprehensive lineup of bird species.

The impressive concentration of elephants attracted to the park's waterholes is what Hwange is mainly known for.

Due to its sheer size, its scenery ranges from semi-desert scrub on the southern side to forests, granite hills, and mopane woodlands in the north.

Once the royal hunting grounds of the great Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi, Hwange's depthless soils and scanty water supplies made it unfit for cultivation. 

When the game reserve was gazetted for wildlife conservation in 1928, it was found destitute of wildlife due to the early colonialists' unrestrained hunting. 

Thanks to the vision of Ted Davison, one of the park's first founding members, the park's animal populations have thrived. The introduction of artificial watering points, fed by boreholes tapping into the area's underground water supply, has significantly improved Hwange’s water situation.