Chirinda Forest Botanical Reserve

Chirinda forest located in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe just close to Chimanimani mountains under Chipinge District.

The Chirinda Forest Reserve covers about 950 ha of primary evergreen tropical rain forest on the slopes of Mt Selinda in South Eastern Zimbabwe. It is one of the larger protected forest areas in the country with a unique combination of tropical and subtropical vegetation species.

The forest consists mainly of mahogany trees and other hardwood species, many of the trees are several hundred years old. The most famous tree “The Big Tree” is said to be the largest tree in Zimbabwe at about 65 metres in height and 16 metres in circumference. Its age is estimated at approximately 1000 years.

The strangler figs are also fascinating. The seeds of these trees are deposited on branches of other trees by birds. The fig tree grows as epiphyte on a branch of the host tree and sends roots earthwards. In the long run the strangler fig suffocates its host that dies and disintegrates to humus. At the end of this process, the strangler fig remains standing as hollow conglomerate of roots and stems. You can crawl inside some of them and have a look at the tree from within as in the image below.

Samango monkeys are regularly seen, and Leopard on the odd occasion. The local race of the Red bush squirrel may be endemic.