Chizarira National Park is a national park that lies in Northern part of Zimbabwe . At 2,000 square kilometres (490,000 acres), it is the third-largest national park in Zimbabwe, and also one of the least known because of its isolated situation on the Zambezi Escarpment . It has good wildlife populations and some majestic scenery. The name of the park comes from the Batonga word chijalila , which translates into English as "great barrier", referring to Zambezi Escarpment, of which Chizarira’s rough terrain forms a part.
16-672: The northern portion of the park is situated within the Southern miombo woodlands ecoregion , while the southern part is located within the Zambezian and mopane woodlands ecoregion. The escarpment falls steeply some 600 metres (2,000 ft) to the Zambezi River valley floor and offers magnificent views towards Lake Kariba , 40 kilometres (25 mi) north. Rivers such as the Mcheni and Lwizikululu have cut almost sheer gorges in
32-430: A biodiversity hotspot, and one which is particularly vulnerable to climate change . In the more intense climate change scenarios where globally averaged warming reaches 4.5 °C (8.1 °F), around 90% of Miombo's amphibian species, 86% of its bird species and 80% of its mammal species are predicted to disappear from the area. 22.5% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas which cover part of
48-507: A fabulous portion of the Zambezi Escarpment. The terrain in the park is craggy, punctuated with ragged mountains, intensely incised by gorgeous gorges and awesome gulches. In the intensely impenetrable valleys, sandwiched by the unique open plain rests the lush vegetation comfortably suckled by vibrant natural springs. This has made the park an amazing place to appreciate nature. Chizarira National Park, plays host to most of
64-413: A low population density and large ranges, except for the roan antelope, which occurs in higher densities. Larger carnivores include lion ( Panthera leo ), leopard ( Panthera pardus ), cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus ), spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta ), African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus ), caracal ( Caracal caracal ), and side-striped jackal ( Lupulella adusta ). This ecoregion is believed to be
80-800: Is similar to the coastal evergreen forests , and canopy trees include Newtonia buchananii , Celtis mildbraedii , and Khaya anthotheca . The ecoregion is home to several large grazing mammals, including the African bush elephant ( Loxodonta africana ), black rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis ), white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum ), African buffalo ( Synerus caffer ), roan antelope ( Hippotragus equinus ), sable antelope ( Hippotragus niger ), Lichtenstein's hartebeest ( Alcelaphus buselaphus lichtensteinii ), southern reedbuck ( Redunca arundium ), greater kudu ( Tragelaphus strepsiceros ), common eland ( Taurotragus oryx ), and common tsessebe ( Damaliscus lunatus ). These large grazers generally have
96-794: The Ruo River , joins the Shire near the Malawian town of Chiromo . The muddy waters pass through a large stagnant area known as the Elephant Marsh before reaching the confluence with the Zambezi River south of the town of Sena, Mozambique . In 1859, David Livingstone 's Second Zambezi expedition traveled up the Shire river. The river's valley is part of the East African Rift system. This article related to
112-735: The African continent south of the Congo forests and East African savannas. The Eastern miombo woodlands covers the hills and low plateaus in the watersheds of the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers, north and south of the Zambezi, and north and east of the Limpopo. The drier Zambezian and mopane woodlands occupy the lowlands along the Zambezi and its major tributaries, including the Shire and Lugenda , and
128-566: The Big Five animals with the rhinos missing . The terrain is excellent for leopard, and there is a good variety of herbivore. Its main attraction is its enormous wilderness appeal. Walking safaris are a big part of the experience. Arguably Zimbabwe’s third largest National Park and indisputably the most remote wilderness area, Chizarira national park derives its name from the Batonga word “Chijalila” which means “The Great Barrier”, an orientation of phenomenal mountains and copious hills that form
144-715: The ecoregion include: Shire River The Shire / ˈ ʃ iː r eɪ / is the largest river in Malawi . It is the only outlet of Lake Malawi and flows into the Zambezi River in Mozambique . Its length is 402 kilometres (250 mi). The upper Shire River issues from Lake Malawi and runs approximately 19 km (12 mi) before it enters shallow Lake Malombe . It then drains Lake Malombe and flows south through Liwonde National Park where large concentrations of hippopotamus are common along its shores. Between
160-746: The ecoregion. The predominant vegetation is savanna and open-canopy woodland. The predominant trees are species of Brachystegia (aka miombo ), Julbernardia , and Isoberlinia . Some eastward-facing mountains intercept winds from the Indian Ocean, and orographic rainfall sustain pockets of moist evergreen forest. These include the Moribane forest in Mozambique, and the Haroni and Rusitu reserves and Chirinda forest in Zimbabwe. The flora
176-463: The escarpment. At the north eastern extremity of the park lies Tundazi , a mountain on which, according to local legend, resides an immense serpent, the river god Nyaminyami . The southern boundary is marked by the Busi River which is flanked by floodplains supporting winter thorn Faidherbia albida woodlands. Chizarira is Zimbabwe's 3rd largest national park, with a hugh population of four of
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#1732786782625192-549: The expected plains wildlife as well as megafauna such as African elephant , lion , leopard and Cape buffalo . There are also many species of smaller wildlife, including the klipspringer , known for its ability to thrive in near-vertical rocky outcrops. Chizarira has a large variety of bird life and hundreds of species have been sighted within the Park. Sought after birds recorded include the African broadbill , Livingstone's flycatcher , western nicator , African emerald cuckoo and
208-589: The lowlands of the Limpopo. To the north and northwest, the Eastern miombo woodlands transition to the Central Zambezian miombo woodlands . To the southwest, they transition to the Southern Africa bushveld . The Southern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic bounds the ecoregion on the southeast, along the Indian Ocean coast. Zambia's capital Lusaka and Zimbabwe's capital Harare are in
224-431: The park has meant that poachers have free rein and the park has suffered as a result, particularly during the economic crisis that engulfed Zimbabwe in the early 2000s. Southern miombo woodlands The Southern miombo woodlands is a tropical grasslands and woodlands ecoregion extending across portions of Malawi , Mozambique , Zambia , and Zimbabwe . It is one of four miombo woodlands ecoregions that span
240-598: The rare and elusive African pitta . Chizarira is also home to the Taita falcon which breeds within the Park. Chizarira was declared as a non-hunting reserve in 1938 and as a game reserve in 1963; it was given National Park status under the Parks and Wild Life Act (1975). The park has its headquarters at Manzituba . This remoteness and the few visitors has meant that Chizarira has experienced increased risk from poachers in recent years. The lack of lodges and safari operators in
256-399: The towns of Matope and Chikwawa , the middle river drops approximately 400 m (1,300 ft) through a series of falls and gorges, including Kapachira Falls . Two hydroelectric dams have been built along the Shire northwest of Blantyre . Beyond Chikwawa , the lower river turns southeast and enters the low-lying Mozambique plain. Its largest and one of its few perennial tributaries,
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