Chizarira National Park
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| Chizarira National Park | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
| Location: | Northern Zimbabwe |
| Area: | 2000 km² (494,200 acres) |
| Established: | 1975 |
Chizarira National Park lies in Northern Zimbabwe. At 2000 km² (494,200 acres), it is one of the larger National Parks, and also one of the least known because of its isolated situation on the Zambezi Escarpment. It has good wildlife populations and some majestic scenery.
The vegetation ranges from highveld Brachystegia species in the north to lowland mopane scrub and woodland in the south. The escarpment falls steeply through some 600 m (1,968 ft) to the Zambezi River valley floor and offers magnificent views towards Lake Kariba, 40 km (24.8 miles) north. Rivers such as the Mcheni and Lwizikululu have cut almost sheer gorges in the escarpment. The park's north-eastern extremity is marked by Tundazi, a mountain on which, according to local legend, resides an immense serpent. The southern boundary is marked by the Busi River which is flanked by floodplains supporting Acacia albida woodlands.
Chizarira was gazetted as a non-hunting reserve in 1938 and as a game reserve in 1963; it attained full National Park status under the Parks and Wild Life Act (1975). The park headquarters are at Manzituba.
