Matobo National Park

{{short description|National park in Zimbabwe}} {{Infobox Protected area | name = Matobo National Park | iucn_category = II | image = Sunrise Matobo Zimbabwe.jpg | image_caption = Sunrise in Matobo National Park, 2006 | location = Matobo District, Zimbabwe | nearest_city = Bulawayo | module = {{designation list | embed=yes | designation1 = WHS | designation1_offname =Matobo Hills | designation1_date = 2003 <small>(27th session)</small> | designation1_type = Cultural | designation1_criteria = iii, v, vi | designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/306 306] | designation1_free1name = Region | designation1_free1value = Africa }} | coordinates = {{coord|20.55|S|28.508|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | area_km2 = 424 | established = 1926<ref name=wice>''National Parks and Nature Reserves of Zimbabwe'', [http://www.nationalparks-worldwide.info/zimbabwe.htm World Institute for Conservation and Environment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416010459/http://www.nationalparks-worldwide.info/zimbabwe.htm |date=2012-04-16 }}.</ref> | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority }} The '''Matobo National Park''' forms the core of the '''Matobo''' or '''Matopos Hills''', an area of granite kopjes and wooded valleys commencing some {{convert|35|km|mi}} south of Bulawayo, southern Zimbabwe. The hills were formed over 2 billion years ago with granite being forced to the surface; it has eroded to produce smooth "whaleback dwalas" and broken kopjes, strewn with boulders and interspersed with thickets of vegetation. Matopo/Matob was named by the Lozwi. A different tradition states that the first King, Mzilikazi Khumalo when told by the local residents that the great granite domes were called madombo he replied, possible half jest, "We will call them matobo" - an Isindebele play on 'Bald heads'.<ref name="burrett_etal_2016">{{Cite book|last=Burrett|first=Robert S. |title=The Matobo Hills : Zimbabwe's sacred landscape |date=2016 |author2=Moira FitzPatrick |author3=Julia Duprée |isbn=978-0-7974-9808-2 |edition=First |location=Bulawayo, Zimbabwe |oclc=986991272}}</ref>

The Hills cover an area of about {{Convert|3100|km2|abbr=on}}, of which {{Convert|424|km2|abbr=on}} is National Park, the remainder being largely communal land and a small proportion of commercial farmland. The park extends along the Thuli, Mtshelele, Maleme and Mpopoma river valleys. Part of the national park is set aside as a {{Convert|100|km2|abbr=on|adj=on}} game park, which has been stocked with game including the white rhinoceros. The highest point in the hills is the promontory named Gulati (1,549&nbsp;m; {{Convert|1549|m|ft|disp=out}}) just outside the north-eastern corner of the park.

Administratively, Matobo National Park incorporates the '''Lake Matopos Recreational Park''', being the area around Hazelside, Sandy Spruit and Lake Matopos.

The national park is located within the southern Africa bushveld ecoregion.

==History==

The national park is the oldest in Zimbabwe, established in 1926<ref name=wice/> as '''Rhodes Matopos National Park''', a bequest from Cecil Rhodes. The original park borders extended well to the south and east of the current park. These areas were redesignated for settlement as part of a compromise between the colonial authorities and the local people, creating the Khumalo and Matobo Communal Lands.<ref>Pitman, D. 1979. ''You must be new around here'', Books of Rhodesia. {{ISBN|978-0-86920-195-4}}</ref> The park area then increased with the acquisition of World's View and Hazelside farms to the north.

The current name '''Matobo''' reflects the correct vernacular pronunciation of the area.

The Matobo Hills were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The area "exhibits a profusion of distinctive rock landforms rising above the granite shield that covers much of Zimbabwe".<ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/306 UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Matobo Hills]</ref>

==Features== ===Fauna=== thumb|White rhino and calf in the game park, Matobo National Park

Matobo National Park has a wide diversity of fauna: 175 bird, 88 mammal, 39 snake and 16 fish species.<ref name="travel">{{Cite web |title=National Parks of Zimbabwe. ''Travel Africa Magazine Online'' |url=http://www.travelafricamag.com/content/view/683/46/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217041643/http://www.travelafricamag.com/content/view/683/46/ |archive-date=2012-02-17 |access-date=2008-10-05}}</ref> Game include white rhinos, sable antelopes, impala and leopards. The park contains the world's densest population of the latter,<ref name=bike>''Mountain bike safaris in the Matobo hills'' [http://adventuretrails.artisticlitho.com/page2.html Adventure trails] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610151445/http://adventuretrails.artisticlitho.com/page2.html |date=2016-06-10 }}</ref> due to the abundance of hyrax, which make up 50% of their diet.<ref name="siyabona">''Zimbabwe - The Spirit of Matobo (Matopos)'' [http://zimbabwe.safari.co.za/spirit-of-zimbabwe_p7.html Siyabona Africa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209122638/http://zimbabwe.safari.co.za/spirit-of-zimbabwe_p7.html|date=2012-02-09}}</ref> The game park in the west has been restocked with white and black rhinos, the former from KwaZulu-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,<ref>Du Toit, R. 2000 ''Zimbabwe Task 1.2-1.5'' [http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com Rhino Resource Center]</ref> as well as hyenas, hippopotamuses, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests and ostriches.<ref name=park>''Matobo National Park'' Undated pamphlet by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority</ref>

Matobo National Park contains the highest concentration of black eagles, and breeding pairs of these birds, worldwide.<ref>Chiweshe, N. 2007. Black Eagles and hyraxes — the two flagship species in the conservation of wildlife in the Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe. ''Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology'', '''78''', 381-386.</ref><ref name=vicfalls>''Matobo National Park'' [http://www.victoriafalls.biz/zimbabwe-attractions/matobo-national-park.html Victoria Falls Safaris] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404111540/http://www.victoriafalls.biz/zimbabwe-attractions/matobo-national-park.html |date=2014-04-04 }}</ref>

thumb|''Mother and Child Kopje'' in the game park, Matobo National Park A limnological research centre has operated since 1950 at the Maleme Dam<ref name=fish>''Round-table meeting on research needs in aquaculture and culture-based fisheries in Zimbabwe'', 1991, [http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/AC990E/AC990E01.htm FAO document repository].</ref> and researched species such as the yellow-fish, ''Barbus mattozi''.<ref>Donnelly, B.G. and Marshall, B.E. 2003. The biology of Barbus mattozi Guimaraes (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in a Zimbabwean reservoir. 2. Growth. ''African Journal of Aquatic Science'', '''28''', 43-48 [http://www.nisc.co.za/oneAbstract.php?absId=379&print=true] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212005140/http://www.nisc.co.za/oneAbstract.php?absId=379&print=true|date=2012-02-12}}</ref>

===Flora===

The Matobo Hills is an area of high botanic diversity, with over 200 species of tree recorded in the national park, including the mountain acacia, wild pear and the paperbark acacia.<ref name="siyabona" /> There are also many aloes, wild herbs and over 100 grass species.<ref name="travel" /> Many types of rare endemic plants have been recorded.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Nomination Dossier for the proposed Matobo Hills World Heritage Area |url=https://whc.unesco.org/uploads/nominations/306rev.pdf}}</ref> ===Fungi=== Matobo National Park is home to a diverse array of fungi, which play a critical role in the ecosystem. These organisms, including saprophytic and mycorrhizal species, decompose organic matter, recycle nutrients, and support plant health through symbiotic relationships. Fungi enhance soil fertility and structure, contributing to the stability of the park's unique granite landscapes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MCS NEWSLETTER 103 |url=https://matobo.org/mcs-newsletter-103/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=Matobo.org |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gadd |first=Geoffrey M. |date=2017-06-01 |title=Fungi, Rocks, and Minerals |url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/msa/elements/article-abstract/13/3/171/521629/Fungi-Rocks-and-Minerals |journal=Elements |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=171–176 |doi=10.2113/gselements.13.3.171 |bibcode=2017Eleme..13..171G |issn=1811-5209|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Additionally, they serve as a vital food source for various insects and small mammals, further enriching the park's biodiversity. Certain species of fungi found in the park are also collected and consumed by local communities, showcasing their cultural and ecological significance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Underutilized wild edible fungi and their undervalued ecosystem services in Africa |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368959526 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101080804/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368959526_Underutilized_wild_edible_fungi_and_their_undervalued_ecosystem_services_in_Africa |archive-date=2023-11-01 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=ResearchGate |language=en}}</ref> The presence of fungi underscores the interconnectedness of flora and fauna in this ecologically rich environment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Benefits of Fungi for the Environment and Humans |url=https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/stories/benefits-fungi-environment-and-humans |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=UN Decade on Restoration |language=en}}</ref>

===Geography and geology===

The Matobo Hills are composed entirely of granite, making up the Matopos Batholith.<ref>Macgregor, AM 1951. Some milestones in the Precambrian of Southern Rhodesia. ''Proceedings of the Geological Society of South Africa''</ref><ref>Pye, K., Goudie, A.S. and Thomas, R.S.G. 1984. A test of petrological control in the development of bornhardts and koppies on the Matopos Batholith . ''Earth Surface Processes and Landforms'', '''9''', 455-467.</ref> 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.<ref name=siyabona/> 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.

===Archaeological, historical and cultural sites=== left|thumb|Mt Effefe ca. 1900.

San (Bushmen) lived in the hills about 2,000 years ago, leaving a rich heritage in hundreds of rock paintings. There are over 3,000 registered rock art sites,<ref name=siyabona/> with the main periods of painting between 320 and 500 C.E.. In many crevices and caves, clay ovens and other historic artefacts have been found,<ref name=vicfalls/> and various archaeological finds date back as far as the Pre-Middle Stone Age, around 300,000 B.P.<ref name=cooke>Cooke, C.K. 1963. Excavation at Pomongwe Cave, Matopo Hills. ''South African Bulletin of Archaeological Research'', 75–151</ref><ref name=garlake1>Garlake, P. 1987. ''The Painted Caves, an introduction to the prehistoric art of Zimbabwe''. Modus, Harare.</ref> The following major sites have been developed for tourist access:

''Bambata Cave'' is a major archaeological site,<ref name=NMM>Information from site museums, maintained by the Zimbabwe Department of Museums and Monuments</ref> 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.<ref name=cities>Zimbabwe's cities. [http://www.zimupdate.com/zimbabwe/zimbabwes_cities.asp Zimupdate.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513015425/http://www.zimupdate.com/zimbabwe/zimbabwes_cities.asp |date=2016-05-13 }}</ref>

''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 Iron Age furnace.<ref name=NMM/>

thumb|Nswatugi Cave. ''Nswatugi Cave'' contains friezes of giraffes, elephants and kudu.<ref name=NMM/><ref name=cities/> Access is from Circular Drive, west of Maleme Dam. A human skeleton was found here dated to 42000 BC belonged to Middle Stone Age.<ref name=":0" />

''Pomongwe Cave'',<ref name="burrett_etal_2016" /> near Maleme Dam, was damaged by a preservation attempt in 1965, where linseed oil was applied to the paintings.<ref>Taruvinga, P. 2003. Salvaging Vandalised Rock Art at Domboshava National Monument in North-eastern Zimbabwe. In: ''ICOMOS World Report 2001-2002 on Monuments and Sites in Danger''. International Council on Monuments and Sites [http://www.international.icomos.org/risk/2001/zimb2001.htm]</ref> Archaeological digs within and downslope 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 hyrax formed a major part of the meat component of the diet of early human inhabitants of the cave, which also included tortoise, baboons and larger game animals. The oldest material on the site is probably pre-Middle Stone Age.<ref name=cooke/><ref>Brain, C.K. 1983''The Hunters of the Hunted? An introduction to African cave taophonomy''. University of Chicago Press. {{ISBN|978-0-226-07090-2}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=E4JyZgr8y50C&dq=pomongwe+cave&pg=PP1]</ref>

''White Rhino Shelter'' is a small site near Gordon Park, on the main tarred road through the park. The frieze includes the outline of large rhinos, which is said to have inspired the re-introduction of the species in the 1960s.<ref name=Onweb/>

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.

[[Image:Octavian grab cecil rhodes.jpg|thumb|left|Cecil Rhodes tomb on Malindidzimu]] The hills were the scene of the famous indaba between white settlers and Ndebele leaders in 1896—the Second Matabele War, known in Zimbabwe as the First Chimurenga—which ended with the assassination of the Mlimo by Frederick Russell Burnham, the American scout, in one of the Matobo caves.<ref name="nyt25jun1896">{{cite journal| date=June 25, 1896| title=Killed the Matabele God: Burnham, the American scout, may end uprising| journal=New York Times | issn=0093-1179 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1896/06/25/108240032.pdf |access-date=2007-09-28 }}</ref> Upon learning of the death of the Mlimo, Cecil Rhodes boldly walked alone and unarmed into this Ndebele stronghold and persuaded the impi to lay down their arms.<ref name="farwell">{{cite book | last =Farwell | first =Byron | title =The Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Land Warfare: An Illustrated World View | publisher =W. W. Norton & Company | year =2001 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=m-XpP_pdANcC&q=Cecil+Rhodes+boldly+walked+unarmed&pg=PA539 | isbn = 0-393-04770-9| page = 539 }}</ref> During the indaba it was also in these hills that Robert Baden-Powell, the ''Founder of Scouting'', first learned woodcraft, the fundamentals of scouting, from Burnham.<ref name="proctor">{{cite journal| first = Tammy M. | last = Proctor |date=July 2000 | title = A Separate Path: Scouting and Guiding in Interwar South Africa | journal = Comparative Studies in Society and History | volume = 42 | issue = 3 | pages = 605–631 | doi = 10.1017/S0010417500002954 | s2cid = 146706169 | issn = 0010-4175}}</ref><ref name="forster">{{cite web | last =Forster | first = Reverend Dr. Michael | url = http://www.netpages.free-online.co.uk/sha/scouthistory.doc | title =The Origins of the Scouting Movement| publisher =Netpages | access-date=2007-10-02|format=DOC}}</ref> Today much of the pottery and artifacts 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 dotting the area mark the sites of armed forts or brief skirmishes.

[[File:Shangani-memorial-panel-rho.jpg|thumb|Shangani Patrol memorial at World's View]] Cecil Rhodes, Leander Starr Jameson, and several other leading early white settlers, including Allan Wilson and all the members of the Shangani Patrol killed in the First Matabele War, 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.<ref>Maylam, P. 2002. Monuments memorials and the mystique of empire: the immortalisation of Cecil Rhodes in the twentieth century. ''African Sociological Review'', '''6''' (1) [http://www.codesria.org/Links/Publications/asr6_1full/maylam.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927143221/http://www.codesria.org/Links/Publications/asr6_1full/maylam.pdf|date=2006-09-27}}</ref><ref>Block, R. 1998. Now in Bad Odor in Zimbabwe, Rhodes Isn't Safe in His Grave. ''Wall Street Journal'', Dec. 9, 1998: 1, 6</ref> This mount is also referred to as the World’s View. (Not to be confused with the World's View, Nyanga). Mzilikazi is also buried at Matopos Hill.

A memorial shrine, erected by the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTH), an organization that seeks to commemorate the sacrifice of Rhodesian servicemen and women during World War One and World War Two, can be accessed in the Park.

==Accommodation and camping== thumb|''Black Eagle'' and ''Fish Eagle'' Lodges at Maleme Rest Camp.

===Maleme Camp===

This is the main camp in the centre of the park, and hosts the park headquarters. All accommodation is self-catering. There are eighteen lodges and six chalets, 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, offer views over the Maleme Gorge. Imbila Lodge offers a higher standard of luxury with ensuite bathrooms and teak furniture.<ref name=Onweb>''Matobo National Park'' [http://www.africa-onweb.com/zimbabwe_national_parks/matobo_national_park.htm Africa-Onweb] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101115185132/http://africa-onweb.com/zimbabwe_national_parks/matobo_national_park.htm |date=2010-11-15 }}.</ref> Camping and caravan sites are situated along the eastern shores of Maleme Dam.

===Mtsheleli Camp===

Located in the south, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

thumb|Camping sites at Maleme.

===Mwesilume Camp===

Located on Circular Drive, west of Maleme Dam, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

===Toghwana Camp===

Located in the east, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

===Arboretum Camp===

Located in the west of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, near the Hazelside Office, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

===Sandy Spruit Camp===

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

===Lake Matopos Camp===

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

thumb|Gordon Park Scout Camp.

===Privately operated camps and sites===

The Boy Scouts Association of Zimbabwe 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.<ref>''Camping at Gordon Park'' [http://www.angelfire.com/sc/matabeles/gp/scout.html Boy Scouts Association of Zimbabwe: Matabeleland Province] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616014421/http://www.angelfire.com/sc/matabeles/gp/scout.html |date=2013-06-16 }}</ref> The Girl Guides Association of Zimbabwe 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bigcave.co.za|title=Welcome to Big Cave Camp|access-date=2010-01-26}}</ref>

Camp Amalinda and Matobo Ingwe Lodge are commercial lodges.

==Tourism== thumb|Dams such as Maleme and their environs offer opportunities for game viewing, hiking, fishing and boating.

===Access===

By road from Bulawayo: Take Robert Mugabe Way in the city centre; this turns into Matopos Road which continues south some 30&nbsp;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 Gwanda: taking the Thuli-Makwe road towards Kezi and turning north on the main Kezi-Bulawayo road.

===Game viewing===

Some game can be seen throughout the park, with regular sightings of white rhino, sable antelope and impala. However, the best viewing is to be had in the 105&nbsp;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 Hwange National Park.<ref>Davison, T. 1967. ''Wankie, the Story of a Great Game Reserve'', Books of Africa. ASIN B0007JZPIQ</ref> It has been restocked with white and black rhinos.<ref>Rachlow, J.L., Kie, J.G. and Berger, J. 2001. Territoriality and spatial patterns of white rhinoceros in Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe. ''African Journal of Ecology'', '''37''', 295 - 304 [https://archive.today/20130105140521/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119070839/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0].</ref> Other animals to be seen include sable antelope, giraffe, zebra, impala, wildebeest and ostrich. On rare occasion in the late afternoon to early evening visitors, can be lucky enough to spot leopard, with many nights being disturbed by the ruckus of baboons screaming due to leopard attacks. There are two game viewing hides.

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

===Hiking===

With its scenery, climate and safe environment, Matobo has a number of hiking trails. Shorter hikes and walks include: * Lakeside walk, Maleme Dam, from Fish Eagle lodge * Mount Pomongwe, near Maleme Camp * Maleme Camp to Pomongwe Cave rock paintings<ref name=map>''Matobo National Park'' Undated map, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority</ref>

Longer hikes include: * Climbing mount Shumbashawa, near Gordon Park * Climbing Nyahwe mountain * Hike from Toghwana Dam to Inanke Cave and rock paintings.<ref name=map/>

Accompanied hikes, with an armed game scout are available from Maleme Rest Camp<ref name=Onweb/>

===Running===

The ''33 miler road race'' is run annually in the park.<ref name=Onweb/>

thumb|Horse riding near Maleme Dam.

===Trail riding===

Supervised horse trails are arranged by the Parks and Wildlife staff.<ref name=map/> 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.<ref name=Onweb/>

===Fishing===

The many dams in the park allow for pleasant fishing, notably for ''Tilapia'' and bass. Bass were stocked into seven of the parks dams from the research station at Maleme Dam.<ref name=fish/> The park entry fee includes a fishing license.<ref name=park/>

===Boating===

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.<ref name=park/>

==In popular culture==

A Zimbabwean cheese has been named ''Matopos'', after the hills.<ref>''Matopos Cheese'' [http://www.dairibord.com/dairibordzimbabwe/list_products.cfm?category_id=8 Dairiboard Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126105839/http://www.dairibord.com/dairibordzimbabwe/list_products.cfm?category_id=8 |date=2020-01-26 }}</ref>

The name of the park has been used twice in films: According to director Stéphanie Machuret, the title and landscape in her 2007 film ''Matopos'', about a traditional healer, were inspired by the park.<ref>Stéphanie Machuret ''Matopos'' [http://imaginingourselves.imow.org/pb/Story.aspx?id=1429&lang=1&g=0 International Museum of Women] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214094324/http://imaginingourselves.imow.org/pb/Story.aspx?id=1429&lang=1&g=0 |date=2012-02-14 }}</ref><ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1006918/ Matopos, listing at Internet movie database]</ref> The name was also used for the fictional Democratic Republic of Matobo in the film ''The Interpreter''.

==See also== {{commons category|Matobo National Park}} *Cecil Rhodes *First Chimurenga *Thuli River

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130702182054/http://www.zimparks.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=47 Parks and Wildlife Management Authority] * [http://www.matobo.org Matobo Conservation Society]

{{National Parks of Zimbabwe}}

{{authority control}}

Category:National parks of Zimbabwe Category:Bornhardts Category:World Heritage Sites in Zimbabwe Category:Prehistoric Africa Category:Geography of Matabeleland South Province Category:Tourist attractions in Matabeleland South Province Category:1926 establishments in Southern Rhodesia Category:Protected areas established in 1926 Category:Archaeology of Eastern Africa Category:Archaeological sites in Zimbabwe