North Luangwa National Park
North Luangwa National Park is a remote tract of land covering over 4,600 square kilometres of the Luangwa Valley. It is not open to the public and there are no permanent lodges. Access is with one of the few operators granted permission to conduct safaris in the area. The beauty of visiting this Park is the truly remarkable opportunity to experience Africa as it was – wild and untouched.
Image supplied courtesy of Remote Africa Safaris
There are a number of tributary rivers running through the Park and into the Luangwa which play an important ecological role in the area. The crystal clear Mwaleshi River trickles down the escarpment in a series of small waterfalls. It recedes in the dry season, leaving many pools along the way, drawing the animals from the bush to its banks in search of water. Vegetation ranges from mopane woodland to riverine forest, open grasslands and acacia thicket, the beautiful sausage trees, vegetable ivory palms, red mahogany and leadwood.
The Park is noted for its massive herds of buffalo, a spectacular sight if they are seen on the run, kicking up dust for miles behind them. Large prides of lion inhabit the territory and it is not uncommon to witness a kill. Other common mammals are hyena, Cookson’s wildebeest, bushbuck, zebra, warthog, baboon, vervet monkey, puku and impala. Elephant and leopard are also seen, but not as frequently as in the South Park. However, you are more likely to see hartebeest, reedbuck and eland.
The birdlife in the North Park is generally the same as that found in the South, although the North does have some East African bird species that don’t occur further south – like the chestnut-mantled sparrow weaver, the white-winged starling and the yellow-throated longclaw.
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Victoria Falls