The Hide Safari Camp is located a private within Zimbabwe’s largest wildlife reserve, the 3.5-million-acre Hwange National Park, and has been instrumental in establishing anti-poaching units. 

In the late 1920s the land was deemed unsuitable for agriculture and set aside for wildlife conservation, but due to water shortages and neglect, wildlife had almost entirely vanished; only 1000 elephants remained. Thanks to conservation efforts, today Hwange holds the second highest population of elephants in Africa. There are over 450 species of birds in the area, and mammals include wild dogs, bat-eared fox and cheetah.

Specialising in photographic safari experiences makes conservation integral to The Hide. In 2016, they became founding members of the Conservation and Wildlife Fund (CWF), which brings together stakeholders in Hwange to establish anti-poaching units (one of which is on The Hide’s concession), raise conservation awareness in local schools, implement environmental initiatives and improve the lives of women. The Hide is also a founding member of Friends of Hwange, which maintains the park’s essential boreholes and watering holes, now pumped using solar energy. To further restore the land The Hide has started a tree nursery, propagating indigenous trees. Those trees re-planted in Hwange are protected from elephant damage by beehives — a device also used to protect local crops from wildlife damage.

Striving to become one of Zimbabwe’s leading eco retreats, The Hide Safari Camp separates waste, has an organic vegetable garden and offers guests refillable glass bottles to cut down plastic use. Community outreach revolves around education, minimising human-wildlife conflict and women empowerment. The non-profit The Hide Community Trust works with community leaders to find sustainable solutions to improve livelihoods. Key initiatives include teaching women how to make kilns out of termite mounds and unused car parts so they can recycle aluminum bottles into beads, and developing a market garden for a local primary school. Fundraising efforts help to support The Trust while guest levies go directly to conservation projects.

We’re delighted to welcome The Hide Safari Camp as a Fellow Member of The Long Run and look forward to being part of their journey.