The Matobo Hills

Whilst many people travel to Africa for its iconic wildlife species, there are cultural landscapes across the continent which delve deeper than the physical experience and allow for a more spiritual connection to nature and one’s surroundings.

The Matobo Hills, located in southern Zimbabwe, south-west of Bulawayo, are considered to be one such landscape and thought to be the spiritual home of the country. Covering an estimated 3,100 square kilometres, of which the core is the Matobo National Park, the area is an extraordinary masterpiece of dramatic natural rock formations, smooth whalebacks locally known as dwalas (sloping, low-lying rounded or elongated hills) and broken granite kopjes with balancing boulders interspersed with thickets of lush vegetation. It is a unique landscape and one of the most underrated tourism gems of Zimbabwe.

This specific area marks critical stages in human history and evolution stretching back over 100,000 years. The first settlers were the hunter-gatherer San people who created images rendered on immovable natural rock surfaces, cave walls and large boulders, the rock art acting as a form of documentation telling their stories and history. The paintings forever inscribed into this landscape illustrate evolving artistic styles and socio-religious beliefs, whilst providing evidence of the lives of foraging communities in the Stone Age and the way agricultural societies eventually came to displace them in the Iron Age. The combined works of nature and humankind express a long and intimate relationship between people and their natural environment and speak volumes of the intrinsic dependence humans have on these natural habitats. With over 3,000 rock art sites, the Matobo Hills contain one of the highest concentrations of rock art in Southern Africa, making the protection of this traditional and cultural landscape vital and necessary in maintaining biological diversity.

These hills also feature in many of the important historical events that have shaped the modern nation of Zimbabwe. The present peace and serenity of the area belies its turbulent history. It has been both a place of worship and a place of refuge during rebellion, a hunting ground and a battleground. As a result, there are battle sites, graves (including that at World’s View of Cecil

A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE WHERE EAGLES SOAR

John Rhodes, 1853–1902), ruins, shrines and sacred places. The grandeur and stillness of the hills have contributed to their hallowed reputation and many rituals and religious activities are still performed amidst the hills today.

This magnificent area, however, also provides a haven for a diverse array of wildlife and an estimated 400 bird species. Today it contains nearly one third of the world’s 47 eagle species and is said to hold the highest population in the world of Verreaux’s eagle (Aquila verreauxii), formerly known as the black eagle. It is arguably the best studied eagle population in the world, having been subject to continuous, detailed study and monitoring since the late 1950s. Other eagles common to the area include the African fish eagle, whose well-known calls echo through the granite gorges; the magnificent martial eagle, so powerful it has been known to take small antelope; the crowned eagle and a healthy population of snake eagles. The caves and ledges in the hills are also home to a number of owls, including the rare Mackinder’s eagle owl, a subspecies of the Cape eagle owl. Scan the skies and you’ll seldom fail to see a raptor soaring overhead whilst searching for prey.

Established in 1953 as a national park, the Matobo Hills were awarded World Heritage status in June 2003 and are an Intensive Protection Zone for the endangered black and white rhinoceros. Travelling to the Matobo Hills will not only add a cultural and spiritual depth to your experience of this beautiful country but will also support the operators and their on-the- ground efforts to conserve and protect this unique and incredible ecosystem for future generations.