JOURNEY
Nestled in the southeastern corner of Zimbabwe, Gonarezhou National Park spans an impressive 5 053 km2. It is second only to Hwange National Park in size (14 650 km2) in Zimbabwe and is part of one of Africa's largest conservation areas, the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park. That massive 35 000 km2 area connects the Kruger National Park and Mozambique's Limpopo National Park with Gonarezhou, allowing wildlife to roam freely across the borders of these three countries.
Gonarezhou is renowned for its substantial elephant population, estimated at around 10 000 – the name ‘Gonarezhou’ itself means ‘place of the elephants’ in Shona. But it's not just elephants; the rest of the Big Five also call this park home. Be sure to pack your binoculars and a comprehensive checklist, as the park is also home to 150 mammal species, 450 bird, 116 reptile, and even 50 fish species.
Since a reintroduction program in 2021, black rhinos are once again present in Gonarezhou after a 27-year absence due to poaching. If you're lucky, you might also spot some of the park's rarer antelope species, such as nyala, suni, sable or roan. The park offers ample shade for its inhabitants (and for you) thanks to mopane woodlands, sausage
