The best way to experience Matusadona is on a walking safari with Sengwa Safaris in the company of their trained team of experts who will ensure that you get the full enjoyment out of this wilderness area.

Open woodlands on the plateau behind the escarpment are dominated by Julbernardia Globiflora. The mountain acacia, Brachystegia Glaucescens, is also common on the slopes and ridges of the escarpment.

From the plateau the park falls abruptly to a flat, low-lying area covered mainly with Mopani scrub and woodland and with dense patches of Jesse bush. The entire northern boundary of the park is created by the lake shore itself. This shoreline, which is subjected to irregular variations in water level caused by fluctuations in annual rainfall, is still in a state of rapid ecological change and development.

Along much of it are “drowned forests” up to several kilometers wide, containing dead trees standing more than 29 years after the filling of the lake. Many of the animals rescued during “Operation Noah” when the lake was filling were released into Matusadona, which now holds strong populations of most mammals occurring in the Zambezi Valley. 

It was generally absent from the lakeshore until 1970, when a combination of circumstances including the decline of the Kariba weed, Salvinia Molesta, enabled it to gain a foothold on what were, until then rather barren shores. The dying Salvinia created ideal mulch for the torpedo grass. It can survive for log periods under water ad becomes available to buffalo and other herbivores towards the end of the dry season when other sources of fodder are largely depicted.

Lion, leopard, hyena and other predators occur in good numbers throughout the park. It is widely acknowledged that Matusadona has the second highest concentration of wild lions after Ngorogoro Crater. There have also been isolated reports of cheetah over the years – a small population was reintroduced in 1995.

There is a small, but important population of the endangered black rhinoceros, found mainly along the foot of the escarpment. They are mostly concentrated in the west of Matusadona. Eight white rhinoceros were introduced into the Park in 1984, but did not survive, probably because they had lost their natural immunity to sleeping sickness over many years of captive breeding in tsetse-free areas.

Viewing black rhinoceros from a houseboat tender on Lake Kariba  (Click on an image to enlarge it)

Hippopotamus and crocodile declined after the lake filled, but are now recovering well. Hippopotamus hae benefited from the development of the torpedo grass swards and the deeply incised shoreline provides hundreds of suitably sheltered habitats. A recent survey of the crocodile population estimated their density at one adult animal of every 656 feet of shoreline.

One of the Matusadona’s most compelling features is its luxuriant bird life over 240 species have been recorded in the Park. The fish eagle is common along the lakeshore where it makes use of the dead trees as nesting sites.

Most parts of the lake shore have conspicuous populations of Grey Herons, Goliath Herons, Great White Herons, Saddlebill Storks, Plovers, Waders and Geese are generally abundant and there are notable populations of Osprey, Woolly Necked Storks, Open Billed Storks, White Winged Plovers and Red Winged Pratincols. There are several large colonies of Darters and Reed Cormorants within the tree lines, and at least one colony of White Breasted Cormorants has appeared recently. Bee Eater colonies are often found in the sandstone banks and cliffs of the minor rivers that traverse the valley floor. Most local raptors are present in good numbers.

So sit back and enjoy what nature has to offer us, please ask as may questions as you please whilst you are our guest, we want you to leave here having truly experienced some of natures wonders, which you will often find more startling in the smaller of its creatures.