Kafue National Park
Kafue National Park is heralded as Zambia's oldest National Park and at over 22,400 square kilometres (the size of Wales & double the size of Yellowstone National Park) is certainly one of the world's largest. Kafue River & its tributaries, the Lufupa and Lunga, help to diversify this landscape and varied habitats include grassy plains known as 'dambos', kopjes, riverine forests, miombo woodlands and flood plains.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
An outstanding feature of the Park is the Busanga Plains in the northwest, a vast floodplain that stretches in all directions as far as the eye can see. This is one of Zambia's most significant wetland resources. The floods reach their height from March to May after the rains, and large herds of hippo are stranded in shallow pools as the water recedes in the dry season. The lush and open plains attract huge herds of red lechwe along with other plains game such as blue wildebeest, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, buffalo, zebra, puku and impala. The shy swamp-dwelling sitatunga is also found here as is the solid-rumped Defassa waterbuck. The antelope in turn lure predators and large prides of lion are spotted regularly on the plains. If you are lucky you might experience the water shy lion chasing lechwe through the swamp areas. Cheetah and leopard also roam the plains and are often seen.
In the south of the Park the Kafue River splits into channels, creating gurgling rapids before rejoining and running south to Itezhi-Tezhi, where it was dammed in 1977 to create a massive lake covering an area of 370 square kilometres. This vast inland sea is surrounded in parts by grassy plains, often "mowed" by hippos. Rocky bays and stretches of submerged trees provide perfect perches for the many waterbirds inhabiting the area including fish eagles, cormorants, spoonbills and the stately goliath heron. The waters of the Kafue are home to large numbers of hippos, crocodiles and water monitors. The southern sector is well known for roan, large herds of sable, oribi, eland and hartebeest.
In addition to lion, cheetah and leopard, a host of other carnivores inhabit the Park including wild dog, hyena, side-striped jackal, civet, genet and a variety of mongoose. Other species include herds of tsessebe, the rare and secretive yellow-backed duiker, common duiker, kudu, grysbok, warthog, bushpig, yellow baboons, vervet monkeys and porcupine. The only visible absentees are the giraffe and rhino. Birdwatching is superb, especially on the rivers and the dambos. Notables include the wattled crane, purple-crested turaco and Pel’s fishing owl. Over 490 species of birds have been recorded throughout the Park.
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Bangweulu Swamps