Antelope and buffalo translocation to Matusadona National Park (Zimbabwe)
Translocating sable antelope, roan antelope, eland, reedbuck and buffalo to Matusadona, part of a transfrontier conservation zone straddling five countries.
Partner
African Parks and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority formed the Matusadona Conservation Trust (MCT) in 2019. Day to day management of Matusadona National Park is delivered through the MCT.
Location
Matusadona National Park, which covers 147,000 hectares in Northwest Zimbabawe. A remote national park, it is flanked by Lake Kariba to the north and two perennial rivers, the Ume and the Sanyati.
The park contains grasslands along the shores of Lake Kariba; miombo woodlands on the Zambezi Valley floor and a rugged escarpment rising 700 metres above the valley.
Matusadona forms part of a large transfrontier conservation area (TFCA) – the Kavango Zambezia TFCA – which is spread across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Angola.
Priority species/habitats
Sable antelope, roan antelope, eland, reedbuck and cape buffalo
Antelope and buffalo populations have undergone major declines in the escarpment region of Matusadona over the last 25 years, primarily as a result of poaching.
Roan antelope and eland are functionally extinct, although an unconfirmed sighting of five roan antelope occurred in 2023. Eland have been sporadically sighted in the park, with two individuals seen by a patrol in the escarpment. However, despite extensive patrol coverage, no other evidence of eland presence has been found. Sable, reedbuck and buffalo populations on the escarpment are very low. The last aerial survey in 2022 estimated only 17 buffalo across the whole escarpment area.
The sable population is estimated at less than 15 individuals. Across Zimbabwe, the sable antelope population in Zimbabwe has declined by ~90% in the last three decades, highlighting the need to restore places like Matusadona to act as a stronghold for wildlife in the region.
Herbivores play a vital role in the ecological functioning of miombo woodland ecosystems. The return of healthy herbivore populations is therefore critical to the health of the national park. As a first step, over 200 zebra were successfully translocated to Matusadona in 2021.
The proposed translocations are also important at a regional scale. The establishment of healthy populations in Matusadona will, in turn, help restore populations in adjacent areas. The immediate region (the Sebungwe region) is an important link to Hwange National Park and then into Chobe and the Okavanga Delta as part of the Kavango Zambezi TFCA.
Key success measure
Long-term: to restore the herbivore guild, including antelope species and buffalo, across 1,000km2 of miombo woodlands.
Immediate (2024/26): successful translocation of:
- Buffalo (150)
- Eland (80+)
- Sable antelope (60+)
- Roan Antelope (50+)
- Reedbuck (20)
A number of individuals of each species will be radio-collared (satellite) to monitor the success of the translocation.
Eland – the largest antelope in Southern Africa
Roan antelope: photo courtesy of and copyright Engin Akis
Matusadona escarpment country
Project goals
Over the next two years (2025 and 2026), five important antelope species will be translocated to the escarpment country in Matusadona National Park – Sable, Roan, Eland, Buffalo, and Reedbuck.
The number proposed for translocation, timing and likely source populations are set out in the following table:
| Species | Source | Estimated Number | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sable | Sibilobilo SA | 20 | 2025 |
| Roan | NRDC, Omay | 15 | 2025 |
| Eland | Tsetse Island | 30 | 2025 |
| Buffalo | Hwange | 150 | 2025 |
| Reedbuck | Kazuma | 20 | 2025 |
| Sable | Midlands Conservancy / TBC | 40+ | 2025 |
| Roan | Malilangwe / TBC | 35 | 2025 |
| Eland | TBC | 50+ | 2025 |
Costs
Global Wildlife Fund is seeking to raise A$415,000.
The total project cost is A$565,000 over two years (US$375,000), of which A$150,000 has already been contributed to African Parks by an international donor.
Cape buffalo
Risk mitigation
African Parks is making a significant investment in local community development including:
- Direct employment from local communities
- Investment in local enterprises such as honey production and fishing
- Support for local schools
- Investment in tourism
- Measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict
Matusadona is also enhancing its ranger force and patrol coverage, with 86 rangers conducting an average of over 1,500 man-days of patrols each month in 2024. While poaching control within the park is improving, surrounding areas still face significant threats.
Bushmeat poaching is increasingly commercial, prompting the government, in collaboration with the Tikki Hywood Foundation, to establish a taskforce to address the issue.
Translocating animals involves a risk of injury and death during capture, transport and release. This risk is minimised through translocation protocols.
Animals coming from outside of areas with tsetse fly will be at risk of trypanosomiasis. Eland, roan and sable will all be placed in a wildlife enclosure and intensively monitored prior to release. Tsetse fly control in release areas has already started.
Animals moved from neighbouring areas may try to return home. This will be mitigated through initial release in temporary enclosures and supplementary feeding.
Local rangers patrolling Matusadona National Park
Local rangers patrolling Matusadona National Park
Other information
Buffalo, sable and roan are declining significantly in the broader Sebungwe Region of Zimbabwe, which includes Matusadona. The Sebungwe region is the eastern edge of Kavango Zambezia TFCA and includes two national parks, two safari areas and one forestry reserve.
Sebungwe buffalo population since 1980 (Source Dunham et al., 2014 and Bussiere et al., 2022)
Sebungwe sable population since 1980 (Source Dunham et al., 2014 and Bussiere et al., 2022)
Sebungwe eland population since 1980 (Source Dunham et al., 2014 and Bussiere et al., 2022)
African Parks
Matusadona is part of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area
The escarpment country across Matusadona National Park