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YOU ARE HERE: HOME » Africa Travel » Walking with White Rhinos in Zimbabwe

Walking with White Rhinos in Zimbabwe

August 11, 2019 by Natasha Sinclair Leave a Comment

walking with white rhino in zimbabwe

I’ve had some pretty amazing experiences in the African bush but one of my most memorable to date was tracking white rhino on foot in Zimbabwe’s Matobo National Park.

Zimbabwe was off the tourist chart for a number of years and this has made conservation challenging for many Zimbabwean’s working in the national parks or on private land. I got to hear first-hand of these challenges from John Burton, Chairman of the Matobo Rhino Trust and our guide during our time in the Matopos.

The breathtakingly beautiful Matobos Hills are located 45 minutes from Bulawayo. San Bushmen who lived here 2000 years ago have left nearly 3,000 rock art sites and Cecil John Rhodes is buried at the spot he called ‘World View’. But Matobo National Park is very special for another reason – it is home to the last viable populations of white and black rhino in Zimbabwe’s National Parks and as John is quick to point out, tourism is key to the Rhino’s survival in this area.

world view matopos zimbabwe
World View is the final resting place of Cecil John Rhodes. Despite any personal views of Rhodes and his legacy in Southern Africa, the view over the surrounding area is beautiful. This area is also sacred to the Ndebele people and when Rhodes was buried the attending Ndebele chiefs requested no firearms where to be discharged to ensure the spirits of the scared area were not disturbed.

Travelling with Sunway Safaris, the money from our stay and our morning game walk flows directly back to supporting conservation efforts here. Money from tourism and donations has been instrumental in supporting the erection of the Whovi Game Fence and other efforts to assist the Zimbabwe National Parks in the protection of Rhino in the Matopos.

On our walk, we tracked and spent time observing four white rhino, a mother and her older calf and two males. The males were challenging one another as the female was coming into season. You can only walk with white rhinos, black rhino have a completely different temperament are cannot be safely observed from the ground.

Matobos National Park is visited on the following safaris:

  • Botswana & Zimbabwe Ivory Route – 15 days (comfort accommodated)
  • Zimbabwe & Botswana Game Tracker – 16 days (affordable accommodated)
  • Zimbabwe & Botswana Game Trail – 16 days (camping)

Filed Under: Africa Travel, Planning a Safari, Sunway Safaris, Zimbabwe

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visageIndafrica is a boutique tour operator and travel wholesaler specialising in African Safaris and the Indian Subcontinent.

We are the NZ (GSA) representatives for Sunway Safaris and India Cycle Trails. We also work with selected partners to offer escorted, small group and tailored itineraries.

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