Matusadona National Park

	Matusadona National Park IUCN Category II - National Park
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location	Mashonaland West , Zimbabwe
surface	1,500 km²
WDPA ID	1107
Geographical location	16 ° 50 ′ S , 28 ° 35 ′ E Coordinates: 16 ° 50 ′ 0 ″ S , 28 ° 35 ′ 0 ″ E
Setup date	1975
administration	Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority

The Matusadona National Park is located on the Kariba reservoir between the Sanyati and Siyakobvu rivers in western Zimbabwe . It is one of several nature reserves around Lake Kariba. Two thirds lie south of the valley slope to the Zambezi , which was formed by the 600 meter high Matusviadonha hills , which gave the park its name.

He is one of the lesser-known, largely untouched areas of Africa. With its unique combination of impenetrable wilderness and the adjacent artificial lake it forms one of the last refuges of the extinction of endangered black rhinoceros . The park is almost undeveloped and difficult to reach; the advertisement of a safari tour provider who praises Matusadona as “one of the best hiking safari destinations in the region” can be understood as a euphemism for the lack of any passable paths. The reference that the “extremely rough network of roads” would “keep tourist crowds and traffic out” also aims in this direction.

The first map of Madusadona National Park was created in 2002. There are only a few accommodations, the best known are the Musango and Sanyati lodges as well as a few camps, which only consist of a fireplace on a level surface.

The best access is from the place Kariba with boats over the Kariba reservoir. There is a very rich fauna here , such as crocodiles , flamingos , elephants , giraffes , black rhinos , antelopes and ospreys . Many animals from the semi-arid bush and grasslands of the park also come here to drink. Fishing for the tiger tetra, which can weigh up to 15 kg, is popular with safari tourists . Most of the animals rescued during the filling of the reservoir by Operation Noah have been released into the national park, which now has large populations of almost all the mammal species that populate the Zambezi Valley . In the dry season , the African buffalo , which come together in herds of up to 1,000 animals on the coastline , are particularly noticeable.

There are many islands in the approximately 6,000 km² reservoir, some of which are part of the national park. Houseboats with personnel can be rented in Kariba .

Web links

Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority: Matusadona National Park Overview . on www.zimparks.org (English)