Exploring Victoria Falls National Parks

This article was written by Phin Upham.

The national parks at Victoria Falls are actually separated into two territories. The Mosi-oa-Tunya national park is roughly sixty-six square kilometers. The Victoria Falls national park proper is the smaller of the two, coming in at 23 square kilometers, but wildlife is free to move between zones without bother. The parks have an abundance of wild and plant life open for exploration.

Vegetation

The region is rife with the Mopane tree, which grows over the bulk of the land on the Rhodesian side. A Riverine forest lines the river and falls with palm trees, but that is not the most incredible feature of the preserve. The spray caused by the falls creates rainy conditions that last twenty-four hours, seven days a week. As a result, plants that otherwise would not thrive in the area like, wild dates, are able to survive.

Wildlife

The national parks of Victoria Falls contain a decent-sized population of elephant, buffalo, giraffe and zebra. Lions and leopards are in the area, but quite difficult to spot on an average day. The river leading to the falls contains a large quantity of hippopotamus and crocodiles too. Baboons, which are some of the most territorial monkeys on the planet, call the Falls their home as well.

Fishing

Fish are some of the most interesting aspects of wild life in the Falls, and show just how much of a dividing line Victoria Falls creates. Below the Falls, one can find 39 separate species of fish. Above “The Smoke that Thunders,” there are 89 species.