A trip to Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation park

25 12 2018

My brother, Duncan, is out from the UK for two weeks so we planned an overnight trip to Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation park an hour and three quarters from Harare to the the east. The road from Marondera was surprisingly good and we managed to get there on time for the 10 a.m. game drive. The park comprises 4,500 ha and has a thriving population of small game, elephants, a rhino breeding programme and a lion – conventional farming is also practiced. There are no leopard as far as anyone can ascertain. It was a great visit with excellent guides and food. Strongly recommended for a night though they cater for day visits too.

: The gardens at the lodge are cool and green and dotted with magnificent trees.

: Judy Travers – wife of John whose father Norman had the vision to start the game farm. Also in the picture; her grandson and dog Willow. Our families have known each other since about 1948 when my father arrived from the UK after World War 2. Judy is heavily involved in community work – especially health and education. She is of the opinion that this work has had the benefit of the locals informing her husband of poaching activity in the area.

: My brother Duncan, out from the UK, with a friend. He would love to live here but admits that winning the Lotto first would be an advantage.

: The lodges are thatched and cool and well appointed.

: An eland bull comes for a quick snack. Most of the game we came across was habituated to humans.

: Under an African sky. The bush is showing the effects of an el Niño event i.e. very dry.

: Armed guards accompany the elephants and rhino 24/7. They are locked up at night. A rhino was shot a few years back out of malice – an attempt to force the Travers off the park.

: Zebra are fat – always.

: Giraffes have never been intentionally acquired by Imire. These made their own way there from another game farm that was taken over.

: Those whiskers!

: It was very dry veld but the trees looked magnificent.

: A young white rhino male – what is his future?

: Mambo the lion. Old and cantankerous – he’s killed a lioness and lives out his days alone.

: Sable antelope kept fenced off from the other buck for treatment for liver fluke.

: If I look cute will they give me more treats (at the lunch break).

: A mother and daughter black (hook lipped) rhino. Know for their bad attitude.

: The rhino horns are cut off every two years. They are the property of the state so are sent to National Parks. Who knows what happens to them…

: Warthogs were ubiquitous where there was food and not at all shy about getting their way. They were never intentionally acquired – they just arrived.

: Nyala in the heat of the day

: The elephant that thinks she is a buffalo. When Nzou was acquired there were no other elephants. Now she won’t tolerate the alpha buffalo who is kept separate from the herd for his own safety. Attempts to introduce her to the other elephants have not been successful though Judy is optimistic that in time she’ll adapt. Very protective of her handlers she once actually chased off an attack on one of them by one of the buffalo.

: A magnificent kudu bull wanders off. They are notoriously shy of the camera!

: Friends.

: The prehensile lip of the black rhino gives it the correct name of hook lipped rhino. They are browsers and use the lip to browse leaves off trees.