Matusadona
National Park, Zimbabwe (click
on thumbnail for full-size image)
We
stayed at a Wilderness Safaris camp called Matusadona Water
Wilderness. The camp was very peaceful and one of our favorites,
with five floating cottages for guests. Going to and from
the main lodge required paddling over by canoe.
The
camp is situated within Matusadona National Park. It sits
on Lake Kariba which is an artificial lake created by the
controversial Kariba dam. While supplying electricity to the
region, the dam caused the displacement of many people (mostly
Tonga) as well as changed the ecology of the area and regions
below.
Our
floating cottage
We
tracked two black rhino on foot. One was about to give birth
and quite aggressive. We had to run away when it started moving
in our direction.
A
park rhino program gradually introduces young farm-bred black
rhinos to the wild in an attempt to bring up their dwindling
numbers.
This
t wo year old black rhino was still quite comfortable with
people and later tried to follow us down the trail.
Black
rhinos have a prehensile upper lip. They are browsers and
primarily eat leaves and small twigs.
We
found this elephant on foot and were able to watch it without
it noticing us.
Elephants
taking a mud bath - both flinging mud with their trunks and
rolling in it.
Kudu
- a large sized antelope with a few white stripes to break
up their shape through the trees.
If
your canoe tips over, no swimming cause the crocodiles will
eat you! Try to crawl on top instead.
Bright
red dragonfly
Brightly
colored Malachite kingfisher
Some
trees grow incredibly long spikes to prevent animals from
eating all their leaves.
