Formerly known as Wankie Game Reserve, Hwange is the largest game reserve in Zimbabwe occupying roughly 14,650 square kilometres. It is located in the west of Zimbabwe between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, just about one hour from the Falls.
Due to its size, the park has different vegetation, scenery and game, from semi-desert scrubs on its south; where the park is close to the edge of the Kalahari Desert, a region with very little water and sparse vegetation and on the north it is mostly mopane woodlands valleys, forests and granite hills.
Hwange was the royal hunting grounds of the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi in the early 19th Century and was later set aside as a National Park in 1929.
Home to over 100 mammal species including Wild dogs, lions, leopards, rhino and hyena; Hwange is popular for its largest elephant population in the world.
Nearly 400 bird species recorded are recorded in the park, which include 19 large herbivores and 8 large carnivores. Some of the commonly spotted birds are Southern ground hornbill, Yellow billed kite, Dickenson’s kestrel, Kori bustard and Carmine bee-eater.
Best time to visit:
August – October and early November – Dry Season – Best time for game viewing
November – April – Rainy (Green) season – Limited game viewing
