Latest News

Coming to the end of a challenging year, we feel Friends of Hwange can count 2020 a success. Our solar powered water pumps kept up a ceaseless water flow to all the pans which was critically important this year due to the extremely harsh conditions that were...

Cape Buffalo look fairly similar to Asian Water Buffalo and domestic cattle but having a shared superficial appearance is where any similarity ends! These wild African bovids are formidable beasts. When injured or provoked they’ve earned a fearsome reputation for...

With a name rather like a secret undercover operation, Covid-19 has thrown the world into a spin, with an untold number of events having to be postponed or abandoned. So, there was much delight when WEZ Matabeleland received permission to go ahead with this year’s...

From the 6th -11th September, Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association (ZPHGA) Representative and Professional Guide John Laing (Batoka Lodges) arrived with a third team of Learner Guides from Victoria Falls. Under the watchful eye of a National Parks...

An Overview by Dr Richard Hoare BVSc PhD The formal protection of Hwange in Zimbabwe dates from 1928. At that time most game species were at low concentrations and elephants in particular were very rare.  From the outset, however, the only permanent surface water...

Reacting to public outrage and a legal challenge in early Sept 2020 against proposed coal mining within Hwange National Park, the Zimbabwe government has announced that "Mining on all areas held by National Parks is banned". This is a landmark...

Shakwankie Wilderness As previously reported in June 2020, more than 400 elephants died in the Okavango Panhandle area in Botswana of undetermined causes. On the 4th July Hwange Lion Research (HLR) undertook a camera trap survey in the Shakwankie Wilderness Area of...

Covid-19 has turned the world upside down. Conservation wise, a disaster is unfolding as communities around our National Parks become hungry and desperate. With the lockdown still in place and inter-city travel banned, there are few eyes and ears in our Parks to...

Reports of deaths of elephants north of the Okavango Delta in Botswana is cause for much concern. The first carcass was found on the 11th May, 2020 near Seronga and the death toll has now risen to over 400. Both sexes and all ages are dying. Reports indicate that the...