AAC Marketing Director Beth McCabe visited Zimbabwe this summer. She joins us on the blog to share more about the conservation, community and up-close elephant encounters she enjoyed on her trip.
I recently spent about a week and a half traveling throughout Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Often on safari, travelers spend time in different parks or reserves, or even multiple countries. However, Hwange is so large and diverse there was plenty to see and do without ever leaving the park. It is roughly the same size as Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, though hosts just a fraction of the same number of annual visitors.
I entered the park on the Elephant Express, an open-air, one-car train offering an alternative to a game drive transfer, with game viewing along an historic railway that has run through Hwange for more than 100 years. My journey ended in the Ngamo Plains region of the park with a stay at the lovely Camelthorn Lodge. The lodge has large rooms and plenty of space to relax and watch the rhinos who occasionally stroll through camp.
It’s situated on private, community land adjacent to the National Park. The area is chock full of wildlife, including lions, zebras, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe, elephants, hippos and more. We saw a huge pride of over 20 lions, massive herds of Cape buffalo and elephants around every corner.
“While finding and observing wildlife is a highlight of safaris, rightfully so, I also had the opportunity to see how tourism dollars can dramatically change the lives of the people and wildlife in these regions.”
The Community Rhino Conservation Initiative is a nonprofit organization re-introducing rhino to the areas bordering Hwange in a secure and sustainable way. Rhino sanctuaries have been established on community land as a buffer zone between the National Park and communal lands. The sanctuaries are directly responsible for reducing human-wildlife conflict in the area. These rhinos are protected against poachers and eventually the hope is that more rhinos will be introduced and breeding can begin to further re-populate rhino in the area.
The rhino sanctuaries are open to visitors, and I visited one during my time in the Ngamo area. We first spent time with the Cobras, a guard group made up of locals who have gone through extensive training to protect the rhinos. We learned more about the program, watched a demonstration with one of their trained anti-poaching dogs and went over a safety briefing before joining the two rhinos in their sanctuary.
It’s incredibly special to view wildlife up close, but even more so on foot. Our small group had to be aware of the rhinos’ activity, moving to remain at a safe distance. We were able to observe them grazing, take photos and ask questions about the wildlife and the Cobras who watch over them.
These rhino sanctuaries in turn provide wonderful financial support for the communities nearby. The communities own the rhinos and the land the sanctuaries sit on, and all funds generated from the rhino sanctuaries go directly back into the communities where they choose how to spend the proceeds. In the Ngamo region where I visited, rhinos have provided a clinic and healthcare staff. Villagers have access to medical testing, treatment, medications and even a birthing center.
The local school has also benefited, with children receiving free school lunches and new teacher housing was built. I was able to walk with kids to school one morning and then stay for their morning assembly. Travelers can donate funds towards school supplies for the teachers and students if they wish. These are just two ways in which the rhinos have supported this particular village, but there are many more. From sewing lessons to eye exams to supporting women financially through a craft market for visitors, the rhinos have dramatically improved the lives of so many.
“While I love the wildlife experiences I’ve had on safari, it was a wonderful reminder that it’s about more than the animals. Safaris can truly change lives, for those who visit and for those who benefit locally.”
In addition to my time in Ngamo Plains, I also spent time at two other camps in Hwange National Park. Hwange is home to a huge migratory elephant population, estimated around 45,000. Our next stop in a very remote section of the park was a great place to get out of the safari vehicle and up close and personal with nature and wildlife on foot, by bike and from a sunken photography blind. We spent hours in the blind over two evenings watching over 200 elephants come to drink at the watering hole mere feet from us. I’ve seen many elephants on safari, but nothing has compared to this experience.
“When you’re observing elephants from a few feet away, you notice details that are easy to miss from a distance. Each curled eyelash, skin wrinkle, jutting out toenail and scraggly tail hair is visible.”
It was fascinating to see them up close and also observe their behavior. Family dynamics were at play, as older and larger elephants displayed dominance and at times pushed others aside. Young elephants protected by their mothers were helped to the front to get their share. It was the perfect way to toast the close of another wonderful day on safari.
My final camp, Nehimba Lodge, was perfectly situated around a watering hole. Game drives and walks provided the excitement during the daytime, but the excitement at night happened right in camp. Dinnertime included a show, with herds of elephants coming to drink. A few daring elephants even ventured closer to our dinner table, sipping from the (unchlorinated) pool.
“There was no better way to close my time in Hwange than spending the evening sharing stories around the fire with my travel companions and watching the elephants against a backdrop of incredible stars.”
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Photos courtesy AAC Marketing Director Beth McCabe