Hwange National Park
INTRODUCTION
The Hwange national park is located west of Zimbabwe on the main roads between Bulawayo and Victoria falls. It extends on 14 620 km ² and understands nine of the ten species of animals protected from the country. It is one of the natural sanctuaries most important for fauna in Southern Africa. The best period to visit the park is between June and October, when the days are hot and the night cold. During these dry winter months, the animals find themselves close to the artificial water supply points created by the man. The fresh rains of November attract the migratory birds and the other terrestrial animals in search of fresh food.
HYSTORY
The Hwange national park was founded in 1928 by a young person to arrange 22 years, Ted Davidson. First of all hunting preserve, it takes the title of national park in 1930.
At the beginning of the 19th century, this park was not whereas a royal hunting ground for king Ndebele Mzilikazi. Hwange was a African chief at the beginning which was ousted by the Ndebele tribe and the grounds were taken again to be used like an hunting ground royal. When Europeans arrived at the current of the 19th century, they asserted the grounds quickly. The demographic pressure which was followed from there, pushed back the animals towards Western inhospitable zones close to the border of Botswana. The park was in fact created by defect considering in these sorry grounds there was nothing to cultivate for lack of water.
The elephants of Hwange are universally known and the population of elephants of the Park is one of most important in the world. The park has three camps distinctive and administrative offices with largest Robins, Sinamatella and with the Hand Camp In 2009, the park celebrated its 60ème birthday as a national park*.
FLORA OF THE PARK
The landscape of the Hwange national park understands a broad zone of desert, rare forests as well as meadows and granite outcrops. The pluviometry of the area is very weak. For this reason water supply points were created by the man in order to make it possible the animals of the reserve to water itself during the dry season.
The park has an interesting variety of landscapes with a part skirting the north-eastern end of the Kalahari Desert. South-east is covered to him with vast forests and open meadows. One of the characteristics of the area is the old fossil dunes which are old sand dunes maintained together by the vegetation.
FAUNA OF THE PARK
Hwange is the greatest animalist reserve in Zimbabwe. The salt pans, the undergrowth and the grassy plains of acacias allow an abundance of animals but that was not always thus. These landscapes of dreams saw running much blood.
One counts there the strongest concentration of animals with 107 species of mammals and 450 species of birds. The black rhinoceros* is threatened there of extinction. It is also one of the last large sanctuaries for elephants and buffaloes in Africa.
On the 107 species of mammals, one counts 19 large herbivores and 8 large carnivores of which the elephant, the buffalo, the lion*, the leopard*, the white rhinocéros*, the black rhinoceros*, the African wild dog*, the cheetah*, the hyena, the baboon, the jackal, the Bat-eared fox*, the warthog and a good amount of other smaller species.
Great concentrations of zebras* and giraffes can be observed in the park. All the animals protected in Zimbabwe have their residence with Hwange which is also the only protected area where one finds the oryx and the Brown Hyena in reasonable quantity. The populations of elephants and of let us African wild dogs* are considered among most important in the world.
The Hwange national park also counts a great diversity with regard to the avifauna. Indeed one counts a little more than 400 species of birds of which 50 are birds of prey*.
CONSERVATION
Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management (DNPWLM)* called upon professionals for research on fauna in the park Hwange nation. To help with the data acquisition the Carnivore Research Unit (CRU)* was created with the specific objective of control very detailed and long-term research on all the carnivores of the park, in particular the large carnivores such as the lion*, the leopard*, the cheetah*, the spotted hyena and the African wild dogs*.
Hwange Lion Project* and Painted Dog Conservation Project* are both very active in the area. Other associations aiming at protecting the park and its fauna like a navvy work in order to maintain a balance between the demographic projection and the survival of the park. I could quote Friends of Hwange* amongst other things.
EXTERNAL LINKS
http://www.geocities.com/hyaenaresearch
