Gonarezhou, when taken on its own merit, is a jewel amongst African National Parks, but also plays a key role in one of Africa's most progressive conservation initiatives: the creation of one of the largest conservation areas of the world: the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park - a 8.649.584 acres tri-national animal kingdom.

The pristine wilderness and the function of Gonarezhou’s natural ecosystem restored and maintained for its intrinsic values and for the benefit of the people in the area and in the larger region of the Great Limpopo Trans Frontier Conservation Area.

Status: National Park, IUCN Category II, established 1967
Geographical Location: South-east Zimbabwe bordering Mozambique’s wildlife reserves and South Africa’s Kruger National Park
Size: 5,000 sqrt km Gonarezhou National Park

The area of the Gonarezhou National Park is characterised by low altitude (much of the park is below 400 m asl), high temperatures (up to 50 degrees Celsius) and low and variable rainfall (mean: 450 mm, range: 100 mm to 800 mm). The Mwenezi, Save and Runde rivers winding through the hot, semi-arid lowveld form stunning waterfalls and rapids where the rivers cut through the basaltic bedrock, and are able to support a large amount of wildlife. A further spectacular feature of the park are the sandstone Chilojo Cliffs which are visible for 50 km.

During the last decades the park has been not only neglected, but also seriously abused. The park has lost a number of species; both species of rhinos have been extinct since 1990 and the 1991/92 drought resulted in local extinction of Lichtenstein’s hartebeest. However, despite these species extinctions, Gonarezhou is still inhabited by a large number of wildlife, particularly elephants, and also some species considered rare in Zimbabwe such as the pangolin, wild dog, bat-eared fox, striped king cheetah, suni, roan antelope, and nyala. Currently Gonarezhou National Park is an absolute wild area. There is no lodge inside the park, only degraded roads and fallen down campsites.

Gonarezhou is a key part in one of Africa’s most forward looking conservation initiatives, the creation of the one of the biggest conservation areas in the world; the Great Limpopo Trans Frontier Park (GLTFP). The GLTFP includes South Africa's world-famous Kruger National Park, with its extraordinary abundance of wildlife, established infrastructure and tourism base, Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park, renowned for its geological splendour, and the newly developed Limpopo National Park in Mozambique. The GLTFP has been officially signed into being, with South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe opening their borders to create a 35,000 km² joint National Park - leading the way in one of the boldest cross-border initiatives currently unfolding in southern Africa: the development of transfrontier parks.

The history of co-operation between Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Frankfurt Zoological Society dates back to Bernhard Grzimek's time. All through the 80ies and 90ies FZS was working with PAWMA to establish its air-wing through the donations of two aircraft and maintenance of these, through providing funds for the equipment purchase of the Capturing Unit and through support for dehorning and follow up studies in rhino conservation. Zimbabwe and its National Parks Department was one of the largest partners of FZS in the 80ies and 90ies. The Zimbabwean Authorities were very generous in donating three black rhinos to FZS as a token of their gratitude for the conservation work and as a confirmation of the very close relationship between the two organisations.

FZS assistance was reduced in the 90ies because at this stage, Zimbabwe was one of the richest and most successful tourist destinations in Africa and it was felt that FZS funds were more needed in other African countries. However, the tides of time changed: when President Mugabe carried out his ill fated land reform programme in 2003 the country lost 98% of its tourist revenue overnight. As a result the National Parks found themselves with no maintenance and development funds and the conservation situation in the parks deteriorated fast in the last few years. All National Parks are in desperate need of assistance, without imminent outside help some of the outstanding resources will be permanently degraded or lost.

• Establishment and implementation of ranger-based monitoring system
• Support of tourism development and management
• Improvement of park's infrastructure in support of effective operations
• Re-introduction of a viable, breeding and free-ranging population of black rhinos in the Gonarezhou National Park
• Strengthening of park's finance and administration system
• Conducting public awareness activities
• Development of a strategic ecosystem health monitoring plan
• Identification of long-term financing needs and revenue generating potential
• Capacity building of national park staff

Hugo and Elsabe van der Westhuizen

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority