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Along with our ranger, David, we track rhinos on foot in the Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe. Adam tests the limits of just how close you can get to a rhino in the wild.
Rhinos
Rhinos can weigh up to 3,500kg and run at an average of 55km/h over 100m (compared to a human’s maximum of 45km/h). So would you leave the safety of your vehicle to track these guys on foot? Well, we did and it was probably one of the best experiences from the trip.
Matobo National Park (zimparks.org/parks/national-p...)
The Matobo National Park forms the core of the Matobo or Matopos Hills, an area of granite koppies and wooded valleys commencing some 35 kilometres south of Bulawayo in southern Zimbabwe. Matopo/Matobo is a corruption of a Venda word, "matombo" which means stones in Tshivenda. It was named by the ancestors of Kalanga and Venda people who are the original natives of the land.
Rhino Walk
As part of the conservation efforts in the park, a dedicated anti-poaching team monitors the rhino population, with rangers taking turns to sleep out in the wild. But the biggest threat to the continued existence of the rhinos is the economy. In order to encourage conservation over poaching, the Zimbabwe government has created unique experiences that allow visitors to view these majestic animals up close, whilst creating jobs and income for the local communities.
Disclaimer
Rhino tracking on foot is very dangerous. These are large animals, with terrible eyesight and an instinct to run (we literally saw one run through a bush). We were accompanied at all times by a trained guide with a firearm. You should never get out of your vehicle in a national park. Never approach a wild animal on foot.
Trip Information:
Days on the trip: 53 out of 90
Current Country: Zimbabwe
Current National Park: Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe (also known as Matopos National Park and used interchangeably - even on the signs within the park).
Current Accommodation: Matobo Lodges, Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe
(zimparks.org/parks/national-p...)
Completed stops on the trip: Gonarezhou National Park, Great Zimbabwe, Harare, Mana Pools National Park, Matusadona National Park, Lake Kariba, Pamuzinda Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park
Next up: WE HEAD TO BOTSWANA!!! Nxai Pan National Park, Makgadikgadi National Park, Moremi National Park, Chobe National Park
Special thank you to our sponsors:
Toyota South Africa, Zimparks, Garmin, Ledlenser
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