Tuli Safari area is a protected area in south-western Zimbabwe. It comprises four areas within the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Estate and covers the entire west bank of the Shashe River within the Thuli Circle. Tuli comprises four reserves.The reserves are administered as a single unit, from the National Parks and Wildlife authority office on the east bank of the Shashe River.
Flora and fauna
Wildlife includes elephants, cheetah, leopard, black rhinos, wild dogs and lions. Most of the Tuli area is scrubland. The park’s eastern border supports riverine vegetation.
What to expect to see in Tuli
1. The Pioneer Grave Yard/Cemetery-has graves of those Pioneers who died in Fort Tuli during wars fought against the Boers at Pont drift and other natural deaths.
2. The Pioneer Prison
3 The Old Fort at Tuli
4. The Old Pioneer Administration Offices Foundation
5. The Pioneer Baobab with names of the Pioneer Column
6. The Somlale ruins
7. The three Botanical Reserves (Pioneer; Tolo; and South Camp)
8. The Pioneer Scrap Yard (beef cans; beer bottles; old cartridges and other metal containers dumped by the pioneers)
9. The wild animals (Lion; Leopard; Cheetah; Elephants; Giraffes; Zebras; birds and unique vegetation) etc
10. The beautiful scenery (landscape)
11. The location for the Old Pioneer Hotel
12 Enjoy guided walks with friendly Parks Rangers
There are no Parks lodges or Parks campsites in this area but there is a private lodge nearby which is about a kilometre to the north of Parks reception on the eastern bank of Shashe (Shashe Wilderness Camp).
Bookings for the Shashe Wilderness Camp private lodges can be done through the following means:
(i) Book and pay through a Mrs Harrison of Shashe Wilderness Camp who is based at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Grounds in Bulawayo and can be contacted on the following numbers +263(09)884911-16.
(ii For clients who are far away from Bulawayo they can deposit their payments into the Wildlife Society Account with Barclays bank under the following banking details:
Bank : Barclays
Branch : Main Street Bulawayo
Account Name : Wildlife and Environment Zimbabwe Matabeleland Branch
Account Number: 23072223098
(iii)After depositing the amount they can send proof of payment by e-mail to Mrs Harrison at [email protected]or fax Mrs Harrison on +263(09)884921. On their e-mail; or fax clients should show proof of payment of how much money was deposited into the account.
Charges for accommodation at Shashe Wilderness Camp
$45 for the use of the camp plus $20 per person per night.
Tuli Safari Area can be accessed through two routes that is firstly, for those travelling from Bulawayo they have to use the Bulawayo- Beitbridge road and drive along this road for 129km through Gwanda town and turn right along Guyu road where there is a white on green metal signpost written Tuli Institute. Drive for about 53km along a tarred road past Guyu business centre and Guyu Police station then travel the remaining 87km on poor gravel road past Manama Business Centre turnoff, Bengo Secondary School and Nhwali Business centre then Tuli Police camp and finally Tuli Safari Area.
The second route to Tuli Safari area can be accessed via Beitbridge especially for those travelling from Harare; Masvingo or other clients passing through the Beitbridge border post into Zimbabwe. For all these clients when coming from Beitbridge they have to drive for about 10km along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo road and after the 10km peg they then turn left where there is a sign post written Nottingham Estate along a well graded gravel road. Here visitors are advised to travel following the route to Nottingham Estate which is approximately 51km in a westerly direction and then another 15km past Sentinel farm towards the west. As they pass through Sentinel they should then travel for another 33km to Shashe Business Centre ; 23km to Limpopo Business Centre; 5km in a north direction up to a junction where an unsign posted left dust turn goes to Tuli Police camp which is about 13km west from that turn off and finally the last 2km to Tuli Safari Area.
When to visit Tuli Safari Area
Visitors to note that the Tuli Safari Area is situated on the western side of the mighty Shashe River and there is no bridge across this river and therefore meaning that the Safari Area can only be accessed easily during the dry season (May to October) depending on the rainfall pattern for each year (this is the best time for visitors to plan their visits). It’s impossible to cross Shashe during the rainy season (November to April) for the reason already stated. Even during the dry season visitors are advised to bring four wheel drive vehicles to cross the sandy Shashe River.
Although Tuli Safari Area is a hunting area the various Historical Sites within the Safari Area do fall within the non hunting area and therefore both consumptive and non consumptive tourism can take place at the same time without any major inconvenience to both clients.
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.
