Kafue National Park

Zambia’s largest national park, it has also remained relatively undeveloped until fairly recently. Kafue National Park suffered from lack of management and resources in the 70s and 80s, but over recent years new investment has allowed this raw and diverse slice of Africa to recover rapidly.

Most of the Kafue National Park lies in the Central Zambezian Miombo woodland eco region, characterised by savannah grasslands and Miombo trees species growing thickly in patches, with a few small dambos (grasslands which become marshy in the rainy season) interspersed among them.

In the south there are stony hills and rocky outcrops where the more sparse Terminalia and Mopane woodland eco region take over; Mopane trees are more adapted to hotter drier condtions and replace the Miombo.

A thin belt of evergreen forest lines the banks of the Kafue River, which has been dammed just outside the park at the Itezhi-Tezhi Dam, forming a reservoir within the park - a miniature Lake Kariba.

The Busanga Plains in the north west of the park offer wide open vistas across grassy plains, and are flooded from March to May, forming a 750 km² wetland. In the south three different river systems – the Lunga, Lufupa and Kafue Rivers come together to create a tree-choked lush wilderness filled with a wide variety of wildlife.

The Kafue River is the lifeblood, but away from its banks there are a wide variety of woodlands as well as open grasslands. These host a diverse array of wildlife species including over 150 different mammals along with an amazing 470 species of bird. Visiting the various habitats of the park is strongly recommended.

Huge herds of red lechwe are found on the Busanga plains along with puku, sable and roan antelope in the woodlands, along with most of the other species of antelope. Large prides of lion are also in the area as a result of the great numbers of antelope and anything left by lion is predated on by leopard and cheetah.

The rivers offer excellent fishing for bream, barbel and fresh water pike. Most of the camps offer canoeing activities as well as fishing and fly camping. Excellent birding is experienced throughout the region and species seen include the Pel’s fishing owl, wattled crane and Lady Ross' Turaco.

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