Hwange – The Struggle for Survival

Blog — By Gobby on November 13, 2012 9:48 pm

Hwange National Park is an amazing and beautiful place situated on the western borders of Zimbabwe in the midst of the Kalahari Sands. It is home to 40,000 elephant, together with many other species. There is much varied woodland, interspersed with wide open plains and water holes.

Mid-November should mark the beginning of the rainy season and the whole park is waiting for that event. There has been no concentrated rainfall since April and the daily temperatures at this time of year rise into the early 40s.

Already there are clear signs of the stress that is caused by the lack of rain. In particular, the grazing animals are struggling with the shortage of food. The rain, when it comes, will bring an instant relief. The grass will grow, the trees will sprout new growth and the water holes will fill. The whole landscape will be transformed.

Until that happens, the struggle for survival will continue.

We witnessed that fight at first hand, particularly amongst the elephant. They all look under nourished and we saw a number of deaths through starvation with the very young and old being the most vulnerable. However, one group’s struggle is another’s gain. The lions are well fed and in good condition, with a variety of meat in plentiful supply. The water holes are their hunting ground. We viewed more lions here than anywhere else in our travels so far. In addition, there are big herds of buffalo and wildebeest migrating through the park in expectation of the rains and the resulting food bonanza. Many of the female zebras and antelope are pregnant ,waiting to give birth at the onset of the wet season. It is a tough environment and survival for many now hinges on this annual meteorological event.

During our visit, we were lucky to see the very beautiful sable antelope, an elusive yet magnificent animal.

Hwange National Park is very special and it was a privilege to be there.