The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has initiated a structured wildlife relocation operation to Matusadona National Park (MNP), one of the country’s premier conservation areas located in the Mashonaland West Province.
According to ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo, the relocation includes a carefully selected group of wild herbivores comprising 10 elands (Taurotragus oryx), 50 buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), and 20 sable antelopes (Hippotragus niger), sourced from Lake Kariba’s Tsetse Island and other ecologically stable populations across Zimbabwe. The species were identified through rigorous ecological assessments to ensure both the viability of the translocated animals and the sustainability of source populations.
The initiative forms part of a broader rewilding programme coordinated by ZimParks in collaboration with the African Parks Network and the Matusadona Conservation Trust. This science-led conservation strategy aims to repopulate MNP with historically present wildlife species and to remedy the biodiversity losses incurred over decades due to habitat degradation, illegal hunting, and inadequate law enforcement.
Matusadona National Park, which spans approximately 1,400 square kilometres along the southern shores of Lake Kariba, has long been regarded as a critical sanctuary for iconic species such as lions, elephants, leopards, zebras, and buffaloes. However, over recent years, the park’s ecological balance has been undermined by a combination of anthropogenic and environmental stressors. The current translocation effort represents a targeted response to those challenges, guided by international best practices in ecosystem restoration and wildlife management.
In a statement released on Friday, Farawo underscored ZimParks’ commitment to “responsible, evidence-based conservation practices that uphold biodiversity integrity, ecosystem health, and community well-being.” As part of the broader programme, the partners are implementing additional measures to support successful rewilding, including enhanced law enforcement mechanisms to counter poaching, systematic biodiversity monitoring protocols, and local development initiatives intended to improve rural livelihoods and foster sustainable coexistence between people and wildlife.
This multi-agency conservation drive reflects Zimbabwe’s alignment with regional and global biodiversity restoration goals, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN’s Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Moreover, the relocation echoes principles outlined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which emphasise the importance of ecological integrity and species conservation within functional landscapes.
Experts suggest that the presence of key herbivore species such as sable and roan antelopes will play an essential role in regulating vegetation dynamics and supporting predator-prey interactions within the park. These ecological functions are foundational to building a resilient and biodiverse habitat.
Through this initiative, Zimbabwe is not only reaffirming its custodianship of unique wildlife heritage but also investing in nature-based solutions that have the potential to yield long-term ecological, social, and economic benefits.
