Mana Pools National Park Overview
Mana Pools National Park is a wildlife conservation area in northern Zimbabwe and forms part of the middle-Zambezi biosphere reserve covering an estimated area of 2196 square kilometers (848 square miles) extending from the Zambezi River in the north to the escarpment in the south. A timeless wilderness considered by many to be the ‘Jewel of Zimbabwe’ and a ‘Treasure for Africa’.
The park has special significance for photographic tourism. It extends for a distance of some 50km from the Zambezi escarpment mountains, through the flat floor of the Zambezi valley to the river itself, its focal point being the system of alluvial river terraces, up to 3.5km wide, which flank the Zambezi River along the park’s 80 km river frontage. This narrow and fertile strip of land supports mature woodlands of magnificent “Winter-thorn” or “apple-ring” acacia, mahogany, ebony and fig trees, all of which allow for the “blue hue light” filtering down through the cathedral of trees which Mana Pools has become renowned for. In the dry season, the shady glades beneath these huge trees, are filled with huge concentrations of wildlife; herds of impala, eland, elephant, zebra, buffalo, waterbuck and kudu. This is a plentiful supply of prey for the healthy populations of lion, leopard, wild dog, hyena and other predators and scavengers that inhabit this unique and wonderful habitat.
Mana means ‘four’ in Shona, and stands in reference to the four large permanent pools which lie within the floodplains of the Valley. Here, the Zambezi River flowing slowly eastwards for thousands of years, has left behind the remains of old river channels forming small seasonal ponds and pools spread over an area of several hundred square kilometers.
The Zambezi river flows past 80km of the Mana Pools shoreline, a river frontage that attracts a large variety of wildlife and birdlife, many of which come down to feed and drink along the water’s edge. A few kilometers across the river on the Zambian side, rises the 2000 feet (600m) soft blue escarpment, an impressive backdrop to the landscape scenery of Mana Pools.
Near Chitake Spring in the south of the park, remains of dinosaur skeletons have recently been found embedded in deep layers of rock exposed in the eroded bank of a nearby river. There have also been discoveries of petrified wood forests. All of which are being investigated and studied by specialists.
In 1984, the park was inscribed as a UNSECO World Heritage Site, in conjunction with the Sapi Safari Area (118,000 ha) and Chewore Safari Area (339,000 ha) and on 3rd January 2013 it was designated as a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance. The area is an important conservation habitat and has been allocated the following status’:-
- TFCA – Transfrontier Conservation Area between Zambia and Zimbabwe
- Ramsar Site – A hotspot and provides habitat for a wide range of endemic and threatened species
- IBA – Important Birding Area
- MIKE – Site-Monitoring of Illegal killing of elephants
Biosphere Reserve – an ecosystem with plants and animals of unusual scientific and natural interest and designated by UNESCO for special protection.
When To Travel
Mana Pools has a generally warm and hot climate, particularly during the months August through to November when temperatures peak in the early 40°C. May to August makes up for the cooler periods of the year as winter sets in and temperatures average high 20°C during the day and in the region of 14 – 20°C during the night. The lodges and camps within the National Park are generally only open to tourists between April and November as the rainy season makes large tracts of the park almost inaccessible.
March to April
Generally when the wet season ends. Temperatures begin to cool down, particularly at night and the rains occur with less and less frequency. The vegetation is still thick, lush and green and there are still a number young being born or running around.
May to August
Although there is a warming trend in August, these months are typically the coldest and driest. Daytime temperatures are around 25 – 28°C, but at night and during the early mornings the temperature hovers around 12 – 16°C. Warm clothes are essential for early morning game drives. The vegetation slowly starts to dry out and thin out, allowing for easier visibility of the diverse array of species within the park. The dust starts to increase making for incredible sunsets.
September & October
The first rains take place in late October / early November, which brings a much-needed break from the dry weather. The heat reaches its peak in October, with average temperatures of 35°C during the day (with it frequently rising to well over 40°C). The high temperatures and increased humidity (once the rains have begun) can make it feel oppressive and uncomfortable. Larger numbers of wildlife tend to congregate down by the river and around the remaining waterholes and springs.
November
The rains are in full force, although it would be unusual for them to occur every day. It often feels uncomfortably hot due to the high temperatures (33°C on average) and increased humidity. Green new vegetation starts to spring up all over the park and the arrival of migratory birds makes for superb birding safaris.
December, January & February
During the wettest months, it rarely rains all day, but it rains almost every day. Afternoon showers are followed by bright skies, but rain can also come in the form of a continuous drizzle lasting days. Daytime temperatures average 30°C, while night and early morning average 20°C. Wet and muddy roads can make many of the access points impassable, and most accommodation options are closed during this period.
Getting There
Whilst Mana Pools is accessible from road from Harare, Kariba and Chirundu, most guests who are not self-driving and who can afford to, opt for the scheduled charter flights into the area. There are primarily two airstrips which service the camps along the river, with Kavinga Airstrip and Dandawa Airstrip both used to service the inland camps. Wilderness Safaris are one of the only operators able to offer boat transfers from Chirundu.
Species
Wildlife
Mana Pools is home to a variety of threatened species including brown hyena, lion, cheetah, Painted Dog, and near-threatened species such as leopard. This wildlife haven also contains one of the only two pockets of nyala in the country and is home to an estimated 16000 buffalo, and more than 12000 elephant – one of Zimbabwe’s largest concentrations. In addition to this is a diverse array of herbivore species including Eland, Impala, Zebra, Waterbuck and Kudu, and one of the highest hippo populations in the world.
Birdlife
With more than 350 bird species, Mana Pools offers enough to draw the breath of any birding fanatic and ornithologist. Rufous-bellied Heron and Long-toed Lapwing like the areas of fringing weed along the river banks and White-fronted Plover and African Skimmer favour the open sandbars for breeding; whilst White-crowned Lapwings and Water Thick-knees are common along the edges of the banks and along the waterline. Collared Pratincole fly over and roost in favoured spots on islands or sandbars whilst Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters visit in summer, the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colonies are vibrant with colour, with year-round White-fronted Bee-eater colonies along the steep banks. White-backed Night-heron do occur but are secretive and are most common in the thick fringing vegetation of Chikwenya Island.
The elusive Pel’s Fishing-owls appear at spots along the river occasionally. Dwarf Bittern are found mainly in the rains at inland pans. Summer brings Woolly-necked Storks to the floodplain and through the woodlands you can find Ayres’s Hawk-eagle, Lilian’s Lovebird and Crowned Hornbill. Western Banded Snake-eagle often sit quietly in tall trees overlooking the river and are easy to miss, whilst Red-necked Falcon whiz through after small birds and are increasing from their strongholds of the Rukomechi and Sapi rivers on the west and east boundaries of the park. Mottled Spinetails favour certain baobabs but Böhm’s Spinetail are frequent, flitting over the floodplain and river. The thickets produce Eastern Nicator, African Pitta, Red-capped Robin-chat, Bearded Scrub-robin and others. Collared Palm-thrush should be sought after in Ilala palm areas, whilst the cooler riverine has Black-throated Wattle-eye and Livingstone’s Flycatcher. Purple-banded Sunbird and Collared Sunbird like the woodlands and riverine but Shelley’s Sunbird only occurs at wild mistletoe during the rains.
Mana Pools National Park is a wildlife conservation area in northern Zimbabwe and forms part of the middle-Zambezi biosphere reserve covering an estimated area of 2196 square kilometers (848 square miles) extending from the Zambezi River in the north to the escarpment in the south. A timeless wilderness considered by many to be the ‘Jewel of Zimbabwe’ and a ‘Treasure for Africa’.
The park has special significance for photographic tourism. It extends for a distance of some 50km from the Zambezi escarpment mountains, through the flat floor of the Zambezi valley to the river itself, its focal point being the system of alluvial river terraces, up to 3.5km wide, which flank the Zambezi River along the park’s 80 km river frontage. This narrow and fertile strip of land supports mature woodlands of magnificent “Winter-thorn” or “apple-ring” acacia, mahogany, ebony and fig trees, all of which allow for the “blue hue light” filtering down through the cathedral of trees which Mana Pools has become renowned for. In the dry season, the shady glades beneath these huge trees, are filled with huge concentrations of wildlife; herds of impala, eland, elephant, zebra, buffalo, waterbuck and kudu. This is a plentiful supply of prey for the healthy populations of lion, leopard, wild dog, hyena and other predators and scavengers that inhabit this unique and wonderful habitat.
Mana means ‘four’ in Shona, and stands in reference to the four large permanent pools which lie within the floodplains of the Valley. Here, the Zambezi River flowing slowly eastwards for thousands of years, has left behind the remains of old river channels forming small seasonal ponds and pools spread over an area of several hundred square kilometers.
The Zambezi river flows past 80km of the Mana Pools shoreline, a river frontage that attracts a large variety of wildlife and birdlife, many of which come down to feed and drink along the water’s edge. A few kilometers across the river on the Zambian side, rises the 2000 feet (600m) soft blue escarpment, an impressive backdrop to the landscape scenery of Mana Pools.
Near Chitake Spring in the south of the park, remains of dinosaur skeletons have recently been found embedded in deep layers of rock exposed in the eroded bank of a nearby river. There have also been discoveries of petrified wood forests. All of which are being investigated and studied by specialists.
In 1984, the park was inscribed as a UNSECO World Heritage Site, in conjunction with the Sapi Safari Area (118,000 ha) and Chewore Safari Area (339,000 ha) and on 3rd January 2013 it was designated as a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance. The area is an important conservation habitat and has been allocated the following status’:-
- TFCA – Transfrontier Conservation Area between Zambia and Zimbabwe
- Ramsar Site – A hotspot and provides habitat for a wide range of endemic and threatened species
- IBA – Important Birding Area
- MIKE – Site-Monitoring of Illegal killing of elephants
Biosphere Reserve – an ecosystem with plants and animals of unusual scientific and natural interest and designated by UNESCO for special protection.
Mana Pools has a generally warm and hot climate, particularly during the months August through to November when temperatures peak in the early 40°C. May to August makes up for the cooler periods of the year as winter sets in and temperatures average high 20°C during the day and in the region of 14 – 20°C during the night. The lodges and camps within the National Park are generally only open to tourists between April and November as the rainy season makes large tracts of the park almost inaccessible.
March to April
Generally when the wet season ends. Temperatures begin to cool down, particularly at night and the rains occur with less and less frequency. The vegetation is still thick, lush and green and there are still a number young being born or running around.
May to August
Although there is a warming trend in August, these months are typically the coldest and driest. Daytime temperatures are around 25 – 28°C, but at night and during the early mornings the temperature hovers around 12 – 16°C. Warm clothes are essential for early morning game drives. The vegetation slowly starts to dry out and thin out, allowing for easier visibility of the diverse array of species within the park. The dust starts to increase making for incredible sunsets.
September & October
The first rains take place in late October / early November, which brings a much-needed break from the dry weather. The heat reaches its peak in October, with average temperatures of 35°C during the day (with it frequently rising to well over 40°C). The high temperatures and increased humidity (once the rains have begun) can make it feel oppressive and uncomfortable. Larger numbers of wildlife tend to congregate down by the river and around the remaining waterholes and springs.
November
The rains are in full force, although it would be unusual for them to occur every day. It often feels uncomfortably hot due to the high temperatures (33°C on average) and increased humidity. Green new vegetation starts to spring up all over the park and the arrival of migratory birds makes for superb birding safaris.
December, January & February
During the wettest months, it rarely rains all day, but it rains almost every day. Afternoon showers are followed by bright skies, but rain can also come in the form of a continuous drizzle lasting days. Daytime temperatures average 30°C, while night and early morning average 20°C. Wet and muddy roads can make many of the access points impassable, and most accommodation options are closed during this period.
Whilst Mana Pools is accessible from road from Harare, Kariba and Chirundu, most guests who are not self-driving and who can afford to, opt for the scheduled charter flights into the area. There are primarily two airstrips which service the camps along the river, with Kavinga Airstrip and Dandawa Airstrip both used to service the inland camps. Wilderness Safaris are one of the only operators able to offer boat transfers from Chirundu.
Wildlife
Mana Pools is home to a variety of threatened species including brown hyena, lion, cheetah, Painted Dog, and near-threatened species such as leopard. This wildlife haven also contains one of the only two pockets of nyala in the country and is home to an estimated 16000 buffalo, and more than 12000 elephant – one of Zimbabwe’s largest concentrations. In addition to this is a diverse array of herbivore species including Eland, Impala, Zebra, Waterbuck and Kudu, and one of the highest hippo populations in the world.
Birdlife
With more than 350 bird species, Mana Pools offers enough to draw the breath of any birding fanatic and ornithologist. Rufous-bellied Heron and Long-toed Lapwing like the areas of fringing weed along the river banks and White-fronted Plover and African Skimmer favour the open sandbars for breeding; whilst White-crowned Lapwings and Water Thick-knees are common along the edges of the banks and along the waterline. Collared Pratincole fly over and roost in favoured spots on islands or sandbars whilst Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters visit in summer, the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colonies are vibrant with colour, with year-round White-fronted Bee-eater colonies along the steep banks. White-backed Night-heron do occur but are secretive and are most common in the thick fringing vegetation of Chikwenya Island.
The elusive Pel’s Fishing-owls appear at spots along the river occasionally. Dwarf Bittern are found mainly in the rains at inland pans. Summer brings Woolly-necked Storks to the floodplain and through the woodlands you can find Ayres’s Hawk-eagle, Lilian’s Lovebird and Crowned Hornbill. Western Banded Snake-eagle often sit quietly in tall trees overlooking the river and are easy to miss, whilst Red-necked Falcon whiz through after small birds and are increasing from their strongholds of the Rukomechi and Sapi rivers on the west and east boundaries of the park. Mottled Spinetails favour certain baobabs but Böhm’s Spinetail are frequent, flitting over the floodplain and river. The thickets produce Eastern Nicator, African Pitta, Red-capped Robin-chat, Bearded Scrub-robin and others. Collared Palm-thrush should be sought after in Ilala palm areas, whilst the cooler riverine has Black-throated Wattle-eye and Livingstone’s Flycatcher. Purple-banded Sunbird and Collared Sunbird like the woodlands and riverine but Shelley’s Sunbird only occurs at wild mistletoe during the rains.
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