Flanked by Lake Kariba in the north, and two perennial rivers, the Ume and the Sanyati, remote, rugged Matusadona National Park presents enormous potential for wildlife and tourism. Proclaimed a National Park in 1975, it was once a conservation stronghold for African elephant and black rhino, with the highest density of lion in Africa, and a sought-after tourism destination. However, human pressure and over-utilisation of resources impacted the park severely. In 2019, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (PWMA) invited African Parks to sign a 20-year management partnership agreement for Matusadona National Park – the first in Zimbabwe to join the African Parks portfolio–with the vision to revitalise the park for wildlife and communities.

Although Matusadona contains a limited diversity of large mammal species, its history speaks of its future potential. Despite its losses, today the park contains a strong baseline of wildlife species such as elephant, lion, buffalo and typical lakeshore species of hippo, waterbuck, impala and buffalo. While there are many challenges, African Parks, in collaboration with the PWMA, has begun to revive Matusadona through a holistic management approach of good governance, effective conservation law enforcement, community engagement initiatives, and restoration of wildlife populations through reintroductions.

Reinvestment into the tourism industry has contributed to job creation and nurtured a pride amongst those who are employed by the park. Through improved housing, education and health facilities, opportunities are being nurtured as people begin to value the results of protecting their heritage and the wildlife with which they coexist.

Matusadona is fast becoming a haven for wildlife, a source of hope for people and a popular tourism destination once more.

Matusadona Highlights

  • The movements of elephant collared in 2021 have proved conclusively that seasonal dispersal is still functioning through several surprisingly intact corridors first identified by researchers in the 1990s.
  • There has been a noticeable reduction in illegal hunting and fishing thanks to effective park protection through conservation law enforcement and community engagement
  • With revived fish stocks, the legal fishing camps have become a major financial benefit to communities, as fishermen are able to access protected commercial fishing grounds.
  • A Temminck’s ground pangolin research and monitoring project was established in collaboration with the Tikki Hywood Foundation (THF).
  • The Reading Around the Reserve Programme in collaboration with Book Aid International reaches 13,000 children a year. Of Matusadona’s employees, 62% hail from the four chiefdoms and 163 of 164 staff are local.

Partners

In November 2019, African Parks signed a 20-year management agreement with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to restore and develop Matusadona National Park, and revitalise it to become one of the leading elephant and rhino sanctuaries in southern Africa.

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