Situated in the north-west corner of Zimbabwe between Kazungula and Hwange National Park, and south-west of Victoria Falls, the Kazuma Pan National Park is 31 300 hectares in extent. The Park which is an extension of the Matetsi Safari Area was developed to be a refuge for the animals during the hunting season.
The Baboon Trees
This is a unique feature of the Park which attracts large volumes of animals. The area has natural water springs and large concentrations of animals. Sightings of up to 2000 buffalo have been reported in the area.
Flora and Fauna
The area is virtually an undeveloped and unspoilt wilderness. Reminiscent in parts of the grass plains of East Africa, it is quite unlike any of the more familiar bush or woodlands.
The Park includes a series of pan depressions, some of which are continuously pumped from boreholes in the dry season. As a result, large concentrations of game seasonally migrate between Botswana and Zimbabwe, especially from September through to the first rains of November or December.
Species to be seen include: lion, leopard, giraffe, zebra, gemsbok, roan, sable, tsessebe, eland and reedbuck, whilst elephant and buffalo are present in large numbers when water is scarce. White rhino are also often seen.
A special species endemic to the Kazuma Depression is the oribi, a small antelope, not often seen in other parts of the country. Visitors may also occasionally see cheetah or wild dog while lions are fairly common.
The pan systems are also ideal habitat to a large variety of water birds, with a number of species including storks, crowned cranes, stilts, cormorants, ducks and kingfishers occurring throughout the area.
Seasons
Kazuma Pan National Park is closed to the public in January and February each year due to the wet conditions over this period that make the roads impassable.
Camp Sites
There are two camp sites available in the park. Only two groups of visitors are allowed to camp in the Park at any one time. The camp sites each have bush toilets, braai points and water supplies. Each camp site can comfortably take 10 persons.
These sites are located in different habitats: Insiza, which overlooks the Kazuma Depression and Kasetsheti, near some natural springs.
Visitors should note that Kazuma is an extremely remote area, and adequate provisions for fuel, food supplies and other basics should be provided for.
Take the Robins Camp/ Pandamatenga turn-off from the main Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road . proceed for some 25 kilometres along this gravel road to the Parks & Wildlife offices in Matetsi where visitors are required to check-in before proceeding. The journey is continued along the Pandamatenga road for a further 39 kilometres to the border post. These roads are gravel and can be rough. As access to Kazuma is along the Zimbabwe/ Botswana border road, visitors are again asked to check-in with the Zimbabwe Republic Police at Pandamatenga. Kazuma Pan National Park is some 25 kilometres further along, north-west of Pandamatenga. Access may only be made by four wheel drive vehicles as the roads are rough and sandy in some areas. Access via Kazungula is strictly prohibited.
Attractions & Activities
Bird watching
Camping
Game drives
Why visit Kazuma?
An ornithologist’s paradise
Remote wilderness with some of Zimbabwe’s most challenging game drive trails
Inset from Zimpapers.
THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority last week shot dead a hippopotamus that was damaging winter wheat in Nyanyadzi. The hippo, which had a calf, is believed to have escaped from Save Conservancy. ZPWMA ordered the shooting of the hippos after traditional leaders in the area reported that it was damaging crops and endangering lives. ZPWMA officer, Mr John Danfa, said they were still hunting for the calf which is believed to have found habitat along Save River. “Usually hippos move up and down rivers during the rainy season. We believe the two escaped from Save Valley Conservancy. They were both females and they do not usually click if there is no male.
“They are believed to have separated. We received reports from traditional leaders in Hot Springs and Nyanyadzi that these hippos were feeding on wheat and crops in their fields.” “People’s lives were endangered so the authorities ordered its killing. The first time we attempted to kill it, it was in the company of so many cattle and could not do anything.
Our officer teamed up with villagers to track it until last week when it was shot down in Nyanyadzi”. The officer is said to have fired 12 shots before the hippo died. The meat was shared by villagers. One of the villagers in Dirikwe village, Mr Tapiwa Munyati, said: “This hippo was becoming a threat to human lives in the area. It was being spotted near homes at night.
“There are vegetable gardens along one of Save River’s tributaries where it was being spotted.“We were told that hippos do not like light and the danger was that lives would have been lost.” “A villager survived death by a whisker recently when the hippo strayed into his homestead.“He went out of his house to investigate when his dogs were barking. He had a torch and the hippo advanced towards him. “Fortunately he managed to escape the attack and notified other villagers and the village head. We are appealing to the responsible authorities to make sure that the remaining one is also killed,” said Mr Munyati.
