The Gonarezhou is filled with Elephants

Zimbabwe’s Premier National Park filled with Elephants

Gonarezhou National Park is situated in the south-eastern low veldt of Zimbabwe, a relatively remote corner of Masvingo province, south of Chimanimani along the Mozambique border.

It happens to be the country’s second largest and wildest National Park. In Shona Gona-Re-Zhou means “Place of the elephant” and indeed this national park has become home to many elephants.

Gonarezhou is definitely a place that most people have forgotten but it is still a place that is worth visiting because it is an extremely scenic park full of rugged and beautiful landscapes, famous for its elephants as many of the largest tusked animals in the region may be found within the park.

It also features a stunning view of the baobab tree as well as the scrublands and sandstone cliffs. The park is divided into two regions, Save/Runde north and Mwenezi in the south.

For those who love wildlife, Gonarezhou is a place to visit as it is home to many wild animals and these include elephants, lions, buffalos, black rhinos, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, sables and roan antelopes.

If the wildlife is not a good enough reason to visit, then the landscapes and the cliffs found at this national Park is the Clarendon cliff.

For those considering visiting the park, there are precautions to be taken because there are diseases known to be popular at the park. Malaria and bilharzia are the diseases that people should look out for if they decide to visit.

Historians and those people who love history, should consider Gonarezhou National Park a must visit because I hear Gonarezhou is one of the last places in Africa where you can experience an African camping experience as it was a 100 years ago.

Accommodation is not an issue as there are thatched chalets at Swimuwini camp and camping sites at Chipinda Pools right in the national park, so now there is nothing stopping people from visiting the place as everything in order at the park and ready to accommodate visitors from the 1st of May to the 31st of December.

Gonarezhou National Park is not only Zimbabwean, but is also part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) a massive Pan-African Park that includes South Africa’s famed Kruger National Park and Mozambique’s Gaza.

The Trans frontier Park is 35000km² and allows the wildlife to wonder from border to border establishing it as a major conservation drive in Africa.

This area is set to become one of the finest “peace parks” in the world and is dedicated to conservation, bio-diversity and the economic development of the surrounding local communities.

This park is expected to re-establish historical animal migration routes and fragile regional eco-system.

Most people might have forgotten about Gonarezhou National Park and some might probably be hearing about it for the first time but this is a reminder to those who had forgotten and a call to those who had not heard about the park to pack their bags and go see “the place of elephant” for themselves and enjoy spending time with all kinds of wildlife.