Home to all the Big Five, Hwange National Park is very accessible from Victoria Falls and excellent for overall wildlife viewing. Mana Pools National Park is an exciting and relatively off-the-beaten-track wilderness destination where are the specialty. More remote still are little-visited Matusadona and Gonarezhou National Parks, which both host growing populations of elephant, buffalo, lion and other safari favorites.
Wildlife Highlights
Most parks in Zimbabwe support dense elephant populations. Numbers in Hwange peak in the Dry season (April to October), when several hundred elephants often gather around a single . Other Hwange specials include sable antelope, brown hyena, bat-eared fox and springhare. Zimbabwe is generally a good destination for buffalo, hippo, lion and the endangered African wild dog. Most reliable for rhino sightings is Matobo National Park.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
The best time for wildlife viewing is the Dry season (April to October). Animals are easiest to spot during the middle and end of the season, particularly from June or July to October, when they tend to gather around the few available water sources. Afternoon showers can be expected in the Wet season (November to March).
Wildlife Rating per Major Park
-
Hwange NP
-
Mana Pools NP
-
Gonarezhou NP
-
Matusadona NP
Recommended Wildlife Books
-
Stuarts’ Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa
Top choice if you’re traveling in southern Africa only.
-
Stuarts’ SA Mammals (app)
Recommended app version of ‘Stuarts’ Field Guide’.
-
The Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals (book and app)
Definitive guide for serious Africa wildlife enthusiasts.
-
The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals
Not a field guide but a fascinating intro to mammal behavior.
-
Tracker Manual: A Practical Guide to Animal Tracking in Southern Africa
Covers tracks, scats and other spoor for 160 animals.
View Photos (31)
