​Wildlife & Animals – Chizarira NP

Philip Briggs
Expert
By Philip Briggs

Philip has traveled through Zimbabwe several times and is the author of more than 20 guidebooks to various African destinations.

Philip is the Zimbabwe expert for SafariBookings and author of more than 20 guidebooks to Africa.

Philip is our Zimbabwe expert and author of more than 20 guidebooks to Africa.

There is a good variety of wildlife in the park, but animals tend to be skittish and densities are low. You can expect to see elephant and buffalo, but black rhino has become locally extinct. Zebra, greater kudu, waterbuck, bushbuck and impala are all quite common. Lion and spotted hyena are around but are more often heard than seen.

Abundant
Common
Occasional
Rare
None
ElephantOccasional
GiraffeNone
HippoOccasional
BuffaloOccasional
ZebraCommon
WildebeestNone
White RhinoNone
Black RhinoNone
LionRare
LeopardOccasional
CheetahVery Rare
HyenaOccasional
Wild DogVery Rare

Wildlife Highlights

The rocky terrain is excellent for animals that thrive in that kind of environment, such as klipspringer – often found standing like statues on balancing rocks. Rock hyrax are very common and usually spotted scurrying away as a Verreaux’s eagle passes overhead. Leopard also love this habitat and sightings of these elusive predators are remarkably frequent.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The middle and end of the Dry season (from July to October) is the best time for wildlife viewing in the park. Wildlife is easier to spot because vegetation is thinner and animals gather around predictable water sources. Roads might become impassable in the Wet Season (November to March).

Wildlife Rating

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