Matusadona National Park

Matusadona National Park is a small Zimbabwean park situated along the shores of Lake Kariba and is roughly only 1 400 sq km in size. The park is world famous for offering visitors an incredible wildlife and safari experience incorporating this famous lake, while it is one of the few places remaining where black rhino can regularly be seen in Southern Africa.

Guests at Matusadona can enjoy activities including game drives, walking safaris, boat and canoe excursions, offering a safari experience at any time of year. Matusadona has remarkable natural beauty with scenic landscapes and beautiful sunsets, making it a superb destination for keen photographers.

The name of this park comes from the Mutuzviadonha Hills - the rugged mountainous region of this park, named by the locals. It is surrounded by river boundaries, giving it a good supply of water and attracting wildlife. Many of the animals were originally relocated here during Operation Noah when the Kariba Dam flooded and became Lake Kariba.

Matusadona National Park is famous for big game, especially large herds of elephant and buffalo, which accumulate along the shoreline in the dry season. It is also said to have one of the highest populations of lion in Africa, after Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. Other predators such as leopard and hyena can frequently be seen in the park, and sometimes cheetah.

There is a small population of endangered black rhino, which are often seen, while hippo and crocodile can frequently be seen on the shoreline. One of the highlights in Matusadona National Park is the incredible birdlife, with over 240 species having been recorded in the park. The fish eagle is common along the lakeshore and other species include populations of grey herons, goliath herons, great white herons and saddle-billed storks. Matusadona National Park consists of wooded hills, plateau and shoreline, and certain parts of the park are only accessible on foot.