Elephant Eden – does it exist?

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Elephant Eden – does it exist?

Christine Boecker • August 4, 2019

Hwange - Zimbabwe’s Elephant Sanctuary

I’ve always been intrigued by Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, which was the royal hunting grounds of the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi in the early 19th Century. All that has changed of course, and since 1928 Hwange is the largest protected wildlife reserve in Zimbabwe and one of the greatest elephant sanctuaries in southern Africa. Named after a local Nhanzwa chief, Hwange National Park is located in the northwest corner of the country – a two-hour drive south of the mighty Victoria Falls.

Bordering Botswana’s Kalahari Desert, the absence of surface water in Hwange meant that elephants had to walk hundreds of kilometers to quench their thirst, often leaving the protection of this natural sanctuary. Thanks to a young warden called Ted Davison, who set out on a 3-year scouting mission on foot in the 1920’s to map the area, Hwange is now dotted with man-made waterholes pumping life-sustaining water for all the park’s animals.

Since then wildlife numbers have climbed steadily, and it is estimated that there are now more than 40,000 elephants in Hwange along with over 100 species of mammals and more than 420 recorded bird species. Not only is Hwange an elephant sanctuary, the eco-system also sustains one of the largest populations on Cape Wild Dogs (Painted Dogs) and is considered a foremost lion conservation area – although sadly it is also where Cecil, the lion was hunted and killed some years ago by that American dentist.

Hiding from the elis

All aboard the Eli Express

Thirsty elis

Sunset in Hwange

At long last my travels took me to Hwange, and so in May I found myself on an Elephant safari, driving from waterhole to waterhole in this vast paradise, curious to learn which animals we could spot. We were richly rewarded with many antelope species including the elusive Sable Antelope and good sightings of the shy Kudu, the huge Eland and my favorite – the Waterbuck. And on one of our game drives we’d stopped to observe a yellow-billed oxpecker (a lifer for me – I was in heaven!) when we noticed a blood-covered baboon. She had just given birth and was gently holding and cleaning her tiny infant, while shielding it from our inquisitive eyes. The bush can be very raw, but that was a tender moment I will always remember.

Probably my favourite way to observe wildlife is to sit quietly at a waterhole, hidden from view in a blind and waiting for the animals to come to us. Now, if one also gets served coffee and baked goods, as we were by our able guide Eric, well – there’s just nothing better! This particular elephant-proof blind is disguised as an anthill and put us toe level and within splashing distance of the grey giants that drink here. I was mesmerized. Never have I been this close-up and able to look an elephant in the mouth!

I could have spent the entire day here, but alas – the Eli Express was waiting to take us north and into the center of Hwange National Park. This one-wagon railcar lived up to it name, as it was powered by a Landcruiser engine! As we chugged along the main railway line that runs along the eastern border of Hwange, the topography changed from vast open plains dotted with Ilala palms to a denser Mopani forest, a great hiding place for wildlife and the perfect elephant sanctuary. Along the way we stopped for giraffe and even an elephant crossing in front of us, all while enjoying a delicious lunch, washed down by a cool glass on wine. It just doesn’t get better than that!

Why we took an Uber to our Tent >>

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