Where to find and film giraffes in Zimbabwe
Where to find and film giraffes in Zimbabwe. Giraffes are known to be the tallest mammals on land. Over the past, these species had reduced in numbers making them a vulnerable species. Conservation efforts have been put in place to make sure that the numbers are revived again. Giraffes can be found in the following places
Hwange National Park
Hwange national park is the largest and one of the most popular parks of Zimbabwe situated between Bulawayo and the Victoria falls. This park still has high numbers of the giraffes in their natural habitat making it the best place to go for filming big numbers of giraffes .The national park also harbors an endangered population of wild dogs .Hwange national Park has also recorded several sightings of other big cats majorly the cheetahs, leopards, and lions for those interested in these carnivores, this national park offers the opportunity to film them in their natural habitat. In addition to these the park has several other wildlife species that are good for filming namely buffalos, hippos, hyenas, zebras and wildebeest. The animals can be sighted well during the dry season when they gather around waterholes to drink water.
How to get to Hwange National Park
Hwange National Park is very accessible. The Main Camp can be reached on a tar road, 200km/124mi south of Victoria Falls. The drive takes less than three hours .To reach some of the other camps deeper in the park, a 4WD might be necessary, especially during the wet months, from November to May. Some of the lodges have airstrips for chartered flights. You will probably arrive in Zimbabwe by flying to Victoria FallsAirport (VFA), near the town of Victoria Falls. Usually, you will be picked up from the airport or hotel by your fixer guide, who will be with you onwards as you travel throughout the country as part of your filming package.
Zambezi National Park
This park also offers an opportunity to film giraffes in their natural habitat. The giraffes are commonly sighted with other animals like the elephant and buffalo. Rhino is absent and the Leopard is rarely spotted, the lion sightings are becoming common with time. African wild dog can also be spotted in the park, and the best chance to spot them is during the denning season, from May to August. The river is a home to the crocodiles and hippos. All these and more are available for filming.
How to get there
Zambezi National Park is located less than 5km on a road from Victoria Falls town. Your main point of entry into Zimbabwe is Victoria Falls Airport (VFA). Your transportation will normally be provided by your local fixer operator as part of your filming package. This usually includes pick-up from the airport or hotel.
Gonarezhou National Park
The wildlife in this park is in big numbers. The area is filled with a variety of species including the Giraffe. The elephants, Buffaloes, hippos, zebra, wildebeest and hyenas are other common animals to look out for. Rarely sighted animals include. Lions, leopards, cheetah and wild dogs. This park also has the variety of antelope species namely the sable antelope, the tiny suni and the nyala antelope. If you are interested in filming any of the above, Gonarezhou national park is one of the places to visit.
How to get there
Gonarezhou National Park is remote and relatively inaccessible. There are two areas to visit: Chipinda HQ is located 550km/342mi south of Harare, and Mabalauta HQ is located 667km/414mi south of Harare. The roads in the park are often very poor, especially in the Wet season, and a good 4WD is essential. Some lodges have airstrips, and we can organize chartered flights. The road transfer to the lodge from the airport takes 45 minutes. Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) will be the point of arrival for most safaris. Another option is to fly to Harare International Airport (HRE). Your filming package includes travel arrangements throughout the country booked by your local fixer operator.
Requirements to film giraffes in Zimbabwe
In order to film giraffes, you will need to acquire permission. The process of securing a filming permit in Zimbabwe can be time-consuming so it needs enough time before the filming in order to complete the necessary process and secure the filming permit. Filming permits in Zimbabwe are processed by the ministry of information. National park charges by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority also apply.
Media accreditation is also vital for filming in Zimbabwe and the application is made to the Zimbabwe media council. The charge for accreditation is 2000usd for shoot accreditation application and in addition to this, each member of the crew pays 200usd. Contact film crew fixers for further information on the requirements for filming in Zimbabwe.
Filming equipment also needs to be cleared and this can be done through a bonded agent or securing a 5% percent of the value of equipment, however this is not advisable and the preferred procedure is that of using a bonded agent. Film crew fixers has all the necessary connections with a number of bonded agents that can clear your equipment on entry and exit. Contact us for any help with kit clearing.
Zimbabwe visa and work permit advice
A tourist visa or business visa can work for your entry into the country. The single entry visa costs USD30. Film crews prefer getting there visa before coming into the countries and this is possible through the online system of the Zimbabwe department of immigration. Proof of yellow fever and vaccination and a Covid 19 free negative certificate are necessary for entry. The prices of visas and work permits change regularly. For updated information regarding travel to Zimbabwe, you can contact your embassy or us regarding the following issues.
• A passport is required for all foreign visitors and has to be valid for at least six months
• Passports must have at least three empty pages
• Citizens of most countries require a visa, which can be obtained at arrival
• A list of countries whose citizens don’t require a visa or can acquire one upon arrival is available
• A list of countries whose citizens are required to obtain their visa in advance is available. The application can be made online.
• When arriving from a yellow-fever-infected country, a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required
Zimbabwe transport services
Film crew fixers organizes transportation for film crews to film in Zimbabwe depending on their interest and Budget and the nature of roads to the destination. We organize both road and air transport for film crews. We recommend customized 4×4 safari land cruisers for vehicles because of the nature of roads in Zimbabwe. These land cruisers cost USD200-250 per vehicle per day. Fuel is estimated on the number of days that are scheduled by the filming schedule. We will need to look at it for establishing the mileage and distance to be traveled.
Best time to film giraffes
The climate in the parks is bound to two distinctive periods. The Dry season (April to October) is categorized by warm days and cold nights. Everything changes with the coming of the very warm Wet season (November to March), especially in October when the park’s lower altitudes rise in temperatures of up to 40°C/104°F.
Dry season (July to October) is the best time to spot these animals via waterholes and rivers. Sunny, clear skies and an absence of mosquitoes are the other advantages of visiting at this time of year. The dry season is also best because of the road situation in the parks. Travelling in the wet season will be difficult since the roads are hard to maneuver during the season
Film fixers in Zimbabwe to help you film in Zimbabwe
All our vehicles come with drivers who act as location fixers and most of them have been to most of the parts in Zimbabwe and are very conversant with the local situations .they provide relevant information and fix any situation on ground. They also act as intermediaries between you and our office while on location. Contact us if you need a film fixer in Zimbabwe.
Why use film crew fixers to film in Zimbabwe
Film crew fixers is a company based in Uganda that assists production agencies and filming companies in South and East African countries as a whole. We handle all fixer services required with our professional team of local fixers and driver guides. We have all the relevant connections with other service providers and government agencies to make sure that accreditation and filming permits are processed in a short time. Contact us for details and all relevant information you would like to know for successful filming in Zimbabwe.
