HWANGE A deeper look into the Wild. A diverse vegetation creates the backdrop for the variety of wildlife. Forming the north-eastern extremity of the Kalahari Desert, From the hardwood forest in the east of the park down to the grasslands and the Acacias and up to the rocky northern part of the park where the Mopane forests dominate, these ecosystems provide a home for more than 100 mammal species, some 70 reptile and amphibian species and more than 400 species of bird life. Hwange’s weather is affected by the Kalahari. Daytime temperatures can reach above 30 degrees Celsius in the early summer (October) and fall dramatically at night. Midwinter can bring sub-zero temperatures. Warm clothing is necessary on game drives during this period. Rain falls from November to April, which disperses the bigger game into various areas with the seasonal water. Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest wildlife sanctuary and at 14 650 sq. km (5 860 sq. miles), it’s also one of the largest in the world. Botswana borders the park to the west and the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls railway line runs along its eastern border. Surrounding Hwange is a jigsaw of safari & forest areas, private estates & communal land dedicated to conservation. The soils here are unsuitable for agriculture. The area became a game reserve in 1929. Ted Davison, the first warden, introduced boreholes which pumped into seasonal pans, or watering holes. This led to a decisive rise in wildlife populations in the next few decades. For example, the elephant population rose from 1 000 to 20 000. |
