A Conservation Success Story

How This Former Zimbabwe Hunting Ground Transformed into a Wildlife Sanctuary

This biodiversity hotspot was prime hunting territory for nearly 70 years but the 128,000-hectare
reserve is now a safe haven for elephants, buffalo, ­zebras & many more animals.

– Excerpt from The Australian, June 28, 2025 – by Ricky French

In the tinder-dry, riverine woodlands of the mid-Zambezi, a pack of painted dogs is setting a trap. The alpha male and alpha female lead the hunt, heads down and ears flattened, silently stalking the impala, which thinks it’s camouflaged within a thicket. With spring-loaded speed the dogs flush the impala into a waiting ambush. The rest of the pack – three more adults and eight pups – pounce as the impala flees across the floodplains, flinging up its hind legs and spraying sand as the dogs nip at its heels. The chase is on. 

Our guide Matt Munuwa floors the throttle and we plant our feet as our safari vehicle hurtles off in hot pursuit. With a sharp yank of the wheel, Matt steers us onto the sprawling banks of the Zambezi River, just in time to see the impala make a desperate leap into the water. The dogs skid to a halt at the edge of the cliff, watching ­intently as the impala swims away, narrowly avoiding the jaws of a semi-submerged Nile crocodile. It’s a thrilling climax to an action sequence straight from a Hollywood blockbuster. 

If this were a movie, the scene would cut to our hero and heroine debriefing over ostrich biltong hor d’oeuvres back at their five-star, riverside safari camp in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage site. […] To the south rises a 1,000-metre high escarpment; to the north the misty mountains of Zambia. Splitting the screen is the mighty Zambezi, more than four kilometres wide, braided by grassy islands and garnished with a sprinkle of hippos that look like borlotti beans dropped in a soup. Pan to Tembo Plains camp, the only Zimbabwean property to boast a Relais & Chateaux badge, luxurious yet seamlessly connected to its natural surroundings. 

The vista screams epic, but for a long time this landscape was teetering towards tragedy. Located adjacent to Mana Pools National Park, this biodiversity hotspot was prime hunting territory for nearly 70 years, attracting trophy hunters hoping to bag the Big Five – lion, ­elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino. Poachers cleaned up what was left. Once a refuge for critically endangered black rhino, by 1994 just 10 remained in the reserve. They were wisely whisked away for safekeeping. 

[…]

“A few years ago we didn’t see much,” says Matt, “and the animals were very skittish. But they’re now used to having us around.”

[…] Zimbabwe holds much appeal as a safari destination. For starters, you can expect to pay about half what you would in neighbouring Botswana for a comparable experience. Zimbabwean safari guides are the most highly qualified in Africa, the people are wonderful, and the country has a variety of ecosystems and landscapes like no other. It deserves a break. 

Sapi Reserve sits at the country’s northern extent, and with the September sun nudging temperatures into the mid-40s, we keep close to our private plunge pool during the heat of the day. There are four double or twin tented suites, linked via a raised boardwalk. Free-standing internal stone walls partition the bathtub and shower from a cosy lounge and canopied king bed. Light floods in through large, river-facing windows, while a bedside “breezer” keeps the sleeping temperature bearable. 

[…]

The main lodge is styled with a Bedouin bent, all rough-sawn teak tables, antique trunks and Persian rugs. A fashion boutique and wine cellar lie behind weathered Zanzibari doors, a nod to traders from the Swahili Coast who sailed their dhows up the Zambezi centuries ago in search of gold. We enjoy sundowners around a firepit set on a tiered deck constructed from railway sleepers salvaged from the original Bulawayo to Victoria Falls line, part of Great Plains Conservation‘s commitment to cutting no new wood when constructing safari camps. 

[…]

Our daily game drives reap rich rewards. Buffalo, ­zebras and eland – the world’s largest antelope – graze the floodplains, a colony of bright pink carmine bee-eaters flock on tree branches dangling above the river. We train our binoculars on Lillian’s lovebirds, a stunning but rarely glimpsed parrot. We even spot a few notoriously bashful nyala antelopes, their fluffy tails and creamy stripes a thrill to glimpse through the thicket. Their caution is warranted, for leopards are lurking.

We don’t see them, at least not at first, but Matt spots evidence of their handiwork: an impala carcass draped over a branch high in a jackalberry tree. “The leopard is hiding its kill,” Mat says. “It will come back when it gets dark.” We return to the tree as darkness envelops the woodland. Matt scans the bush with a torch, sure the killer will return. True to his word, the leopard emerges from the shadows and with an effortless leap is up the tree, burying its head in the impala. A gruesome aftermath greets us next morning, the headless carcass, legs splayed and hanging from the tree like a warning. Our production has suddenly become a horror flick. 

[… Matt] drives us to a clearing and pulls up beside an enormous pile of animal bones – baboons, hyenas, lions, zebras and elephants – scattered by scavengers and bleached white by the sun. This was one of the hunters’ killing fields.

Matt turns the engine off and we sit for a few moments. “Elephants don’t forget,” he says. “Some of the ones we saw today would remember seeing their families shot. These bones are their brothers and sisters.” 

In time the bones will return to dust, but for now they remain as a haunting reminder of the past; a poignant prop in the ultimate redemption film, now showing.

In the Know

The Classic Safari Company designs bespoke wildlife safaris in more than 12 African countries. Tembo Plains safari camp is open from April to November and is located about 388km north of Harare, serviced by charter flights from Harare, Victoria Falls and Kariba. From $US1,205 ($1,860) a person a night, including game drives, river cruises, all meals and beverages and return airstrip transfers. 

Read more of Ricky French’s Classic Zimbabwe Safari in The Australian

READ THIS ARTICLE IN FULL NOW AT THE AUSTRALIAN

See you out there.

Thomas

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