About Destination
Matobo National Park covers occupies of 44,500 hectares. Founded in 1953, awarded Unesco World Heritage Status in June 2003. The park has an absolute protection Zone where a large population of black and white Rhinoceros is successfully bleeding.
The park is found in the magnificent Matobo Hills, a range of domes, spires and balancing rock formations which have been hewn out the substantial granite plateau through millions of year’s erosion and weathering. The majesticterrain of the park is a hiker’s paradise, and the heterogeneity of the vegetation supports a wide range of wildlife.
Matobo means “bald heads” was the name given to the area by the great Ndebele King, Mzilikazi.And he is buried in the Matobo hills just a very short distance from the park. also burried at the park is of Cecil John Rhodes at the summit of Malindidzimu – ‘hill of benevolent spirits.’ Cecil John Rhodes called this hill as having a ‘view of the world.’ A hike walk from the parking lot will lead the visitor to his grave, carved out of the solid granite hill and envelope by a natural amphitheater of massive boulders.
The Matobo holds high spiritual and cultural importance to the local people, and there are many sites within the park where important ceremonies still take place. Within the park are numerous sites with rock paintings done by the San hunter-gatherers who once occupied this park.
There is a wide variety of animals in the park which includes black and white Rhinoceros, klipspringer, leopard, hyena, cheetah, hippo, warthog, rock daisies, waterbuck, wildcat, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, kudu, eland, sable, springhare, common duiker, crocodiles, baboons, and monkeys. The park is popular for its massive concentration of black eagles, which can be seen perched atop the rock formations or rising along the cliffs in search of prey. Some of the other bird species found include fish eagle, martial eagle, francolin, secretary bird, weavers, pied crow and Egyptian geese.