Hwange National Park
Hwange National Park spans more than 14,600 square kilometres of north-western Zimbabwe, yet its true reach extends far beyond any map. Here, savanna, woodland and wetland blend into a living mosaic that supports some of Africa's most iconic and least-known species. At ATH, we see this park as a dynamic system whose health underpins local livelihoods, wildlife protection and cultural traditions.
In the park's sandy lowlands, herds of sable and roan antelope graze beneath mopane trees, while black-backed jackals slip through the undergrowth. During the dry season, these open plains give way to the woodlands, where African elephants reshape the landscape by felling trees and digging for water, creating micro-habitats that benefit birds, insects and smaller mammals. Over 400 bird species have been recorded here, from the secretive African crake hiding in bushes to large congregations of wattled cranes on seasonal pans.
Forests of Baikiaea plurijuga (African Teak) form dense thickets in the park's western reaches. These slow-growing giants trap moisture, sheltering hornbills and colorful butterflies that rarely venture into the open. When you wander beneath them, you're walking through a living archive, each tree ring marking a year of drought, flood or quiet growth. Meanwhile, roadside waterholes, some man-made, many fed by solar-powered boreholes, become gathering points for buffalo, zebra and rare species like the pangolin, whose nocturnal foraging helps control termite populations and cycle nutrients back into the soil.
Beyond the great mammals and grand landscape, Hwange's smaller residents pull their own weight. Bat-eared foxes use oversized ears to listen for insects tucked beneath the sand, consuming millions of termites each year and keeping the earth fertile. Secretive pangolins patrol termite mounds under moonlight, while brightly patterned dung beetles clean up after larger creatures, returning vital nutrients to the ground. These hidden interactions, pollination by sunbirds, seed dispersal by hornbills, form the web that holds the entire ecosystem together.
Protecting this continental treasure requires more than park boundaries. ATH collaborates with researchers, community groups and park authorities to track elephant migrations, map predator territories using camera traps, and monitor water quality in nearby locations. Our support of projects like the Dirimwe land-regeneration effort in Dete shows how restoring contours and swales not only tames soil erosion but also boosts groundwater recharge, benefiting both wildlife and farmers downstream.
Hwange National Park is a living, changing landscape whose survival depends on each species and each drop of water. We invite you to see beyond the headline sightings and discover the park's subtler stories, of trees that stand for centuries, of tiny hunters beneath the dust and of communities whose futures rise and fall with the flow of its ecosystems.