Matobo National Park

	Matobo National Park IUCN Category II - National Park
	Sunset in Matobo National Park
location	Matabeleland , Zimbabwe
surface	3,100 km²
WDPA ID	1110
Geographical location	20 ° 30 ′ S , 28 ° 35 ′ E Coordinates: 20 ° 30 ′ 0 ″ S , 28 ° 35 ′ 0 ″ E
Setup date	1926
administration	Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority

The Matobo National Park or Matopos National Park (older name) is located in Matabeleland in Zimbabwe around 35 km south of Bulawayo . It is the oldest national park in the country, founded in 1926 as Rhodes Matopos National Park .

It is one of the much-visited parks, not only because Cecil Rhodes and others are buried here in the Matobo Mountains , but also because of the imposing rock formations, the contrasts between gentle grassland and rugged granite. The Mpopoma river valley with its "balancing rocks" is considered to be particularly attractive in terms of landscape. The deep traces of erosion in this 200 million year old rock formation are considered breathtaking. There are various small dams in the park, the lakes of which are filled depending on the season and are particularly suitable for stalking animals. The national park is located within the Matobo Mountains, which have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of their rock paintings .

In the park you can find larger antelopes such as kudu or eland , but also the black (black) and white (white) rhinoceros , big cats and giraffes , zebras and six species of eagles, as well as a variety of other bird species. Its area covers 3,100 km², 440 of which are used for agriculture.

history

Grave of Cecil Rhodes

The San lived here 2,000 years ago and have left a rich legacy of rock carvings . Clay ovens and other historical artifacts have been found in many of the caves and niches.

The hills were where the meeting between Cecil Rhodes and the leaders of the Ndebele took place in 1896 . Rhodes named this place View Of The World because of its breathtaking views . Several early settlers are buried on the Malindidzimu hill next to Cecil Rhodes.

These hills are considered sacred by the Shona and many other tribes in southern Africa. They are still places of worship today.

Trivia

The name of Park Matobo appeared in the 2005 film The Interpreter , in which the fictional Democratic Republic of Matobo plays a role.

Web links

Commons : Matobo Hills - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority: Matobo National Park Overview . on zimparks.org (English)
SA Places: Matobo National Park . on www.places.co.za (English)