The Matobo Hills support a rich biodiversity and form an important catchment for the Shashe-Limpopo river system. The Matobo Hills have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the region has one of the highest concentrations of rock art in Southern Africa dating back at least 13,000 years. The distinctive rock land forms and large boulders provide abundant natural shelters and this is why the area has had human occupation from the early Stone Age. The Matobo Hills have one of the highest concentrations of rock art in Southern Africa.

The Matobo Hills continue to provide a strong focus for the local community and the region has to manage a delicate balance between this cultural heritage, the Matobo National Park itself, private wildlife and tourism areas, commercial livestock farms and subsistence agro-pastoralist areas. The vast majority of people living in the Hills are subsistence agro-pastoralists, with household monthly income of US$80. High poverty levels and unsound environmental practices frequently go hand-in-hand.

With this delicate balance in mind, Dambari Wildlife Trust was set up with the aim to provide  locally-relevant solutions, based on sound data, to ensure long-term ecosystem health and sustainability  and which is functional for the local communities.