Across the border—Zimbabwe
A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR MATUSADONA NATIONAL PARK Writer: Shelley Cox, Africa Conservation Travel Photography: Africa Conservation Travel
premier elephant and black rhino sanctuary. The lush landscape, consisting of undulating hills that quickly descend to abruptly flat grasslands, forms important habitat for a large diversity of savannah and woodland species and makes up an integral part of n 1st November, 2019, Zimbabwe the middle-Zambezi complex within the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority signed yet another public/private Sebungwe region. partnership as they step up their efforts Apart from the astounding diversity of over to ensure the successful conservation and long-term viability of the country’s national 240 bird species, a healthy variety of mammal species still occur within parks. Matusadona including lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, waterbuck and impala. After a few years of discussions, African The shoreline of Lake Kariba is guarded by Parks (AP), a well-known non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the a kilometre-wide, iconic drowned forest, and when combined with the park’s unique complete responsibility for the vegetation, offers considerable and special rehabilitation and long-term management tourism potential through both land- and of national parks in partnership with water-based activities including game governments and local communities, has drives, walking safaris, viewing, catch-andsigned a 20-year agreement with the release fishing and boat cruises. Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, to take on Founded in 2000, African Parks utilises management of the Matusadona National a clear business approach to conserving Park. Africa’s wildlife and remaining wilderness areas, securing vast landscapes and carrying At 1,470 square kilometres, the out the necessary activities needed to stunning and unique landscape of Matusdona presents enormous possibilities protect the parks and their wildlife. African Parks maintains a strong focus on economic for both wildlife and tourism, and has the potential to once again become Zimbabwe’s development and poverty alleviation of
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surrounding communities to ensure that each park is ecologically, socially and financially sustainable in the long-term. Currently African Parks manages 16 national parks and protected areas in 10 countries, covering almost 11 million hectares of landscape. These countries include Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Zambia and now Zimbabwe.
With the signing of the 20-year agreement, African Parks aims to revive Matusadona through a foundation of good governance, an effective law enforcement strategy to secure the park coupled with community engagement initiatives, and, importantly, restoring wildlife populations through reintroductions of indigenous species and thus boosting tourism. AP’s shared vision with the government is to reposition Matusadona National Park in Zimbabwe as a leading safari tourism destination in the region…and in Africa. We look forward to following the progressive steps that will be taken as yet another of Zimbabwe’s national parks becomes an example of successful conservation and rehabilitation. TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA
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