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Hwange National Park Facts

 

Facts, Video and Photos of Hwange

There can be few experiences on this earth so gratifying as to sit at one of Hwang’s viewing platforms by a waterhole, watching an endless procession of “Gods gifts” engaged in the timeless dance of survival

Hwange National Park
elephant and hippo at waterhole

Hwange has amongst the highest diversity of mammals of any National Park in the world with over 108 species and over 400 types of birds including 50 raptors

pair of Tawny eagles in Hwange

« A 482 km network of game viewing roads leads the visitor to some large concentrations of game and best of all  not too many other tourists 

« Hwange is one of Africa’s premier elephant strongholds. with lots and lots of elephants – 30,000 of them, but they need to drink water twice a day.

Hwange Park has little natural water and most of the water is pumped through boreholes into the pans and troughs

huge buffalo herd at Mandavu

The park covers an area of 14,651km² (5,656 miles²) with an average altitude of 1,000m above sea level.

It is situated on the main Bulawayo to Victoria Falls road in the northwest corner of Zimbabwe and borders Botswana.

Hwange has 480 km of roads, and not many are well maintained, some also get boggy during the rainy season and are closed. It is wiser to take a package tour into the park

There is no off-road or night driving in the National Park.- This is a malarial area.


ANIMALS

Hwange has Africa’s Big Five and plenty of them!  There are thousands of elephants and buffalo.

wildebeest and giraffe

Lions are commonly seen, but the elusive leopard and rhino, rarely.

mating couple in Hwange near Kapula camp

Wild dogs can be seen at the painted dog centre before the main gate.    

This park has such a variety of animals that over one hundred different species have been recorded.

Video: Hwange national park   | Hwange Park animals  | See and Do  Hwange

Dry season game-viewing is assisted by sixty man-made waterholes which give much needed water during the hot parched winter months when everything else dries up.  Several waterholes have raised wooden hides in which you can spend many hours observing animals and the interactions between them.


The 
Pump Run is great fun with hands on experience. ( never to be forgotten)
For the really adventurous try 
Jozabanini rustic and remote camp 


BIRDS

400 species of birds are found here making it a bird watchers paradise, particularly in the wet season.

saddle billed stork enjoying the thermals

The largest is the ground dwelling Kori Bustard who will only take to the air if absolutely necessary.

pair of Kori bustards

Abundant food marks the start of the mating season and crowned cranes

landing gear out

prance in a comical dance and crimson breasted shrikes sport their startling plumage

colourful crimson breasted shrike

Several of Hwange’s safari lodges occupy a private concession and unlike the public park, night drives are allowed. Look out for the Springhare, who hops around like a small kangaroo.


Dry Season: 
From April to October. May to June is warm to hot (25 °C)  during the day but can drop to below freezing on particularly cold winter nights.  September and October are the hottest months. During these dry months the animals are concentrated around the man-made waterholes.

cheeta on the run near Ngamo Pan

Rainy Season: Nov to March the summer rains arrive mainly in the form of afternoon thunderstorms and the vegetation bursts into life. The area has a relatively low average rainfall of between 570-650 mm per annum. Temperatures can reach over 38°C (100°F), while on average they range from 18-28°C (65-83°F).  

Birdlife is most spectacular at this time.

Secretary bird
lilac breasted roller
 
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