تلال ماتوبو

تلال ماتوبو هو مجال عالي من التنوع النباتي، يتوفر على أكثر من 200 نوع من الأشجار المسجلة في الحديقة الوطنية، بما في ذلك شجر السنط الجبلي والكمثرى البرية وشجرالقيقب.[3] هناك أيضا العديد من أنواع الصَبِر، والأعشاب البرية التي يفوق عدد أنواعها 100 صنف.[4]

يتميز المنتزه الوطني في ماتوبو بتنوع واسع من الحيوانات: 175 bird, 88 mammal, 39 snake and 16 fish species.[4] Game include وحيد القرن الأبيض، ظبي سابل، إمبالة and نمر. The park contains the world's densest population of the latter,[5] due to the abundance of وبريات، which make up 50% of their diet.[3] The game park in the west has been restocked with white and black rhinos, the former from Kwa-Zulu Natal in the 1960s and the latter from the Zambezi Valley in the 1990s. It has been designated as an Intensive Protection Zone for the two species,[6] as well as زرافة، حمار الزرد، نو (حيوان) and نعامة.[7] يحتوي منتزه ماتوبو الوطني على أعلى نسبة من النسور السوداء، وتربية أزواج هذه الطيور في جميع أنحاء العالم.[8][9]

Mother and Child Kopje in the game park, Matobo National Park

A limnological research centre has operated since 1950 at Maleme Dam[10] and researched species such as the yellow-fish Barbus mattozi.[11]

تتألف تلال الماتوبو تماما من الجرانيت، making up the Matopos Batholith.[12][13] The granite weathers into fantastic shapes, such as the balancing rocks known as Mother and Child Kopje. Between the granite mountains, narrow valleys form. These are often swampy valleys known as dambos or vleis, due to runoff from the whaleback mountains.[3] These valleys form the headwaters of the Maleme, Mpopoma and Mtsheleli rivers, and the source of the Thuli River is just east of the park.

Mt Effefe ca. 1900.

San (Bushmen) lived in the hills about 2,000 years ago, leaving a rich heritage in hundreds of فن صخريs. There are over 3,000 registered rock art sites,[3] with the main periods of painting being between 320 and 500 C.E.. In the many crevices and caves, clay ovens and other historic artefacts have been found,[9] and various archaeological finds date back as far as the Pre-عصر حجري متوسط في أفريقيا، around 300,000 B.P.[14][15] The following major sites have been developed for tourist access:

Bambata Cave is also a major archaeological site,[16] located in the west of the national park, north of the game park on the Kezi-Bulawayo road. The frieze includes elephants, giraffes, warthogs, tsessebe and mongoose.[17]

Inanke Cave has the most extensive paintings, located in a remote cave accessible by a three-hour hike from Toghwana Dam. Along the route of the hike is an عصر حديدي furnace.[16]

Nswatugi Cave contains beautiful friezes of giraffes, elephants and kudu.[16] Access is from Circular Drive, west of Maleme Dam

Pomongwe Cave, near Maleme Dam, was damaged by a preservation attempt in 1965, where linseed oil was applied to the paintings.[18] Archaeological digs within and downslop of the cave revealed 39,032 stone tools, several hearths, with the main fire-making areas were in the centre of the cave floor. Bone fragments showed that وبريات formed a major part of the meat component of the diet of early human inhabitants of the cave, which also included سلاحف برية and larger game animals. The oldest material on the site is probably pre-عصر حجري متوسط في أفريقيا.[14][19]

White Rhino Shelter is a small site near Gordon Park, on the main tarred road through the park. The frieze includes the outline of a large rhinos, which is said to have inspired the re-introduction of the species in the 1960s.[20]

The grandeur and stillness of the hills has contributed to their hallowed reputation, especially to the Shona and Ndebele people. Many rituals and other religious activities are performed in the hills. Before the colonial era, it was the headquarters of the spiritualist oracle, the Mlimo.

سيسل رودس tomb on Malindidzimu

The hills were the scene of the famous indaba between white settlers and Ndebele leaders in 1896—the حرب ماتابيلي الثانية، known in Zimbabwe as the First Chimurenga—which ended with the assassination of the Mlimo by فريدريك روسل بورنهام، the American scout, in one of the Matobo caves.[21] Upon learning of the death of the Mlimo, سيسل رودس boldly walked alone and unarmed into this Ndebele stronghold and persuaded the impi to lay down their arms.[22] During the indaba it was also in these hills that بادن باول، the Founder of Scouting, first learned woodcraft, the fundamentals of كشافة، from Burnham.[23][24] Even today, a great deal of the pottery and artefacts found on cave floors and most of the clay grain bins in the hills are remnants from the 1896 rebellion era. There are other reminders too - bronze plaques dotted here and there in various hills mark the sites of armed forts or brief skirmishes.

Cecil Rhodes, ليندر ستار جيمسون، and several other leading early white settlers, including ألان ويلسون ‏ and all the members of the دورية شانغاني killed in the حرب ماتابيلي الأولى، are buried on the summit of Malindidzimu, the 'hill of the spirits' -- this is a great source of controversy in modern Zimbabwe as this is considered a sacred place by nationalists and indigenous groups.[25][26] This mount is also referred to as the World’s View. (Not to be confused with the World's View, Nyanga).

هذا هو المعسكر الرئيسي في وسط المنتزه، وهو يحتضن مقر المنتزه. جميع أماكن الإقامة ذات ضيافة ذاتية. يوجد في المخيم ثمانية عشر نزلا وستة شاليهات، the former fully equipped and the latter with communal ablutions and without crockery or cutlery. Three of the lodges, Imbila, Black Eagle and Fish Eagle, have fantastic views over the Maleme Gorge. Imbila Lodge offers a higher standard of luxury with ensuite bathrooms and teak furniture.[20] Camping and caravan sites are situated along the eastern shores of Maleme Dam.

يقع في الجنوب، يقدم هذا المخيم خدمات التخييم ومواقع القوافل.

Camping sites at Maleme.

موجود على القرص الدائري، غرب سد ماليم، يقدم هذا المخيم خدمات التخييم ومواقع القوافل.

Located in the east, يقدم هذا المخيم خدمات التخييم ومواقع القوافل..

Located in the west of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, near the Hazelside Office, يقدم هذا المخيم خدمات التخييم ومواقع القوافل.

Located in the east of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

Located in the north of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

Gordon Park Scout Camp.

جمعية كشافة زيمبابوي operates a camp called Gordon Park, in the north of the Mtsheleli Valley. Gordon Park is a 115 ha lease from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and is maintained as far as possible close to natural conditions. In addition to camping sites for Scout Troops there is a small cottage.[27] The جمعية مرشدات زيمبابوي maintains a camp site at Rowallan Park, in the north of the Mtsheleli Valley.

Big Cave Camp is a privately owned camp, bordering the Matobo National Park. The Camp offers four star accommodation in seven granite under thatch lodges and separate camping facilities elsewhere on the property. Activities on offer include game drives, game walks, bird watching, tours to famous rock art galleries, as well as tours to Rhodes Grave. The Big Cave property is approximately 2,000 أكر (8.1 كـم²), and is ideal for walking and birdwatching. Facilities include a natural rock pool for swimming, the "Leopards Lair" bar and dining area which incorporates a huge granite boulder into the building, as well as separate library area.[28]

Camp Amalinda, which offers game viewing, hiking, bird watching, climbing and horse-riding.[29] and Matobo Ingwe Lodge are commercial lodges.

By road from بولاوايو: Take Robert Mugabe Way in the city centre; this turns into Matopos Road which continues south some 30 km to the park boundary. This is a two-lane tarred road. A single lane tarred road continues to Maleme Dam and Rest Camp. The remaining roads in the park are gravel or earth, but suitable for most vehicles. However, access to Toghwana Dam during the rainy season may require four wheel drive.

The park can also be reached from جواندا ‏: taking the Thuli-Makwe road towards Kezi and turning north on the main Kezi-Bulawayo road.

Some game can be seen throughout the park, with regular sitings of white rhino, sable antelope and impala. However, the best viewing is to be had in the 105 km² Game Park, in the west of the national park. The game park, also known as Whovi or Hove Wild Area was established with animals translocated from the border areas of متنزه هوانج الوطني.[30] It has been restocked with white and black rhinos.[31] Other animals to be seen include ظبي سابل، زرافة، حمار الزرد، إمبالة، نو (حيوان) and نعامة. On rare occasion in the late afternoon to early evening visitors, can be lucky enough to spot نمر، with many nights being disturbed by the ruckus of baboons screaming due to leopard attacks. There are two game viewing hides.

A group of Boy Scouts hiking up Nyahwe mountain with Shumbashawa mountain in the background.

With beautiful scenery, pleasant climate and safe environment, Matobo offers excellent hiking country. Shorter hikes and walks include:

• Lakeside walk, Maleme Dam, from Fish Eagle lodge
• Mount Pomongwe, near Maleme Camp
• Maleme Camp to Pomongwe Cave فن صخريs[32]

Longer hikes include:

• Climbing mount Shumbashawa, near Gordon Park
• Climbing Nyahwe mountain
• Hike from Toghwana Dam to Inanke Cave and فن صخريs.[32]

Accompanied hikes, with an armed game scout are available from Maleme Rest Camp[20]

سباق الركض السنوي في المنتزه على المسار المخصص للركض بطول 33 ميل.[20]

ركوب الخيل بالقرب من سد ماليم.

يتم ترتيب الجياد تحت إشراف من قبل موظفي متنزهات الحياة البرية.[32] There are two routes:

• From Maleme Camp and visiting scenic locations in the Maleme valley and environs.
• From Whitewater Office into the game park for game viewing.[20]

يوجد العديد من السدود في المنتزه، ما يتيح الفرص بالاستمتاع بصيد الأسماك، خاصة سمك البلطي وسمك القاروس، دون الخوف من خطر التماسيح. أخذ سمك القاروس من محطة الأبحاث الخاصة بسد ماليم ووزع على سبعة من السدود الموجودة في المنتزة.[10] رسوم دخول المنتزه تشمل رخصة الصيد.[7]

Boating is possible on the larger dams, such as Maleme, Mtshelele, Toghwana and Lake Matopos. Privately owned boats are permitted subject to approval of the parks' officials.[7]