IUCN Management Category II (National Park)

Biogeographical Province 3.08.04 (South African Woodland/savanna)

Geographical Location In Chiredzi district, Masvingo Province on the south-east border of Zimbabwe adjacent to Mozambique. 21°06'-22°12'S, 31°20'-32°25'E.

Date and History of Establishment Established as a Nature Reserve in 1968. National Park status in 1975.

Area 505,300ha

Land Tenure Government

Altitude 162-578m

Physical Features The flat to undulating country interrupted by the valleys of the Nuanetsi, Lundi and Sabi Rivers and by isolated hills including the Chikunja Range. Chipinda Pools encompass almost 50% of the park area and attract large numbers of migrating game. Chilojo cliffs form a spectacular backdrop on the south bank of the Lundi for about half its distance through the park. The park includes Gorheve Pans 30km north of Mabalanta (filled with water during the rainy season). Soils are mainly derived from Cretaceous sandstones and range from deep sands of the regosol group to medium-textured soils of the siallitic group with considerable granophyre in the Chikunjas in the north. Rainfall is low, and falls mainly between November and April.

Climate No information

Vegetation The wide variety of vegetation types includes: mixed Brachystegia glaucescens woodland on the granophyre hills, with steeper slopes dominated by Kirkia, Commiphora, and Adansonia digitata. Colophospermum mopane is dominant on the limited basalt areas and in the drainage lines and eroded areas of the Cretaceous sandstones. Also characteristic of alluvial areas are Xanthocercis zambesiaca and Cordyla africana with Acacia tortilis, and Croton megalobotrys. Androstachys johnsonii of the monogeneric family Androstachydaceae is confined in Zimbabwe to this area and forms small, dry, evergreen forest and thicket patches on the Cretaceous sandstone and granophyre. Guibourtia conjugata occurs in pure stands on the edges of the level sands associated with the Lundi Valley. The dominant vegetation of the non-eroded, level Cretaceous sands is a mixed community of deciduous woody species of the major genera Combretum, Strychnos, Terminalia, Pteleopsis, Xeroderris, and Pterocarpus. A patch of relict riverine forest contains several giant Chlorophora excelsa (threatened in Zimbabwe). Adenium obesum, Pachypodium saundersii, Trichilia sp., Albizia sp. and Ficus capreifolia are present. Gonarezhou is the only location in Zimbabwe for aloes Aloe suffulta and A. lutescens, and a number of species with a coastal distribution.

Fauna The reserve forms part of a natural migratory triangle for the game population of Kruger National Park in South Africa and the neighbouring game area in Mozambique. 800 eland and several herds of elephant are known to have crossed into Gonarezhou from Kruger National Park. Fauna include: elephant Loxodonta africana (T), reintroduced black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis (T) (which appear to be prospering), and hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius (important breeding location; population periodically curbed). The area is the Zimbabwe stronghold for nyala Tragelaphus angasi, suni Neotragus moschatus, and Lichtenstein's hartebeest Alcelaphus lichtensteini. The sympatric occurrence of steenbok Raphicerus campestris, grysbok R. melanotis, grey duiker Sylvicapra grimmia, Livingstone's suni Neotragus moschatus livingstonianus and oribi Ourebia ourebi with klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus on nearby hills is probably a unique association of these small antelope. Red squirrel Paraxerus palliatus is sympatric with common bush squirrel P. cepapi. River fauna include: freshwater turtle Cycloderma frenatum, lung fish Protopterus annectens, a threatened top minnow Nothobranchius sp., tiger fish Hydrocynus vittatus and bream Tilapia spp.. Marine tarpon Megalops cyprinoides and sword fish Pristis microdon have been taken in the Lundi river many kilometres from the sea. There is a significant crocodile population.

Cultural Heritage No information

Local Human Population No information

Visitors and Visitor Facilities The park is open to visitors in the dry season from May to October. Well established restcamp at Chinguli in the centre and campsites throughout the park.

Scientific Research and Facilities The emphasis of research has been on understanding the ecology of the area as a basis for management policy designed to achieve ecological stability despite outside influences.

An ecologist and support staff are based at Chipinda Pools in the north.

Conservation Value No information

Conservation Management Total

Four zones are specified: Special Conservation, Wilderness, Wild, and Development. The park is divided into two major sections for administration: Chipinda Pools (north) and Mabalauta (south).

There is a draft park policy document and associated management and development plans. The park has been sealed with a game fence to counteract the spread of foot-and-mouth disease by buffalo movements.

Management Constraints The park has a rather attenuated shape and is bordered mainly by peasant agricultural areas which pose a constant poaching threat especially from across the Mozambique border. A combination of burning and bush clearing associated with past tsetse control, wildfire and the presence of numerous large herbivores especially elephant (who have been excluded from their former range) has had considerable deleterious impact on some vegetation-types. The flow regime and water quality of the Lundi and Sabi rivers have been influenced by upstream impoundment for irrigation and run-off from extensive irrigation schemes. Manjinji Pan on the south bank of the Nuanetsi River previously supported substantial birdlife with water being pumped into the pan by a local resident. However, this scheme has now been abandoned and the pan is silting up.

Staff The warden and support staff at Chipinda Pools are responsible for the northern sector and warden at Mabalauta responsible for the southern sector and contiguous Malapati Safari Area.

Budget No information

Local Addresses

The Warden, Chipinda Pools, P Bag 7003, Chiredzi, and The Warden, Mabaluata, P Bag 7017, Chiredzi.

References

Departmental reports and scientific papers deal with the vegetation and fauna of the area and their management. Much literature concerning Kruger National Park has relevance to this park.

Readers Digest, (1983). Game Parks and Nature Reserves of Southern Africa. Cape Town, South Africa.

Date 1983