Kafue

The Kafue National Park in Western Zambia is the largest national park in Africa at 22,400 km².  Despite its beauty and diversity, its comparative inaccessibility of Kafue means that it remains gloriously untamed! A safari in Kafue National Park offers a unique range of habitats from the memorable Busanga floodplains to the verdant vegetation of the south. It supports a rewarding variety of wildlife including cheetah, which are rarely seen in the South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi National Parks.

Busanga Plains

The Busanga Plains, in the far north of the Kafue National Park, are some of the most significant wetland areas in Zambia. This is Kafue’s best area for game-viewing. During the wet season the Lufupa river floods creating a wetland paradise. These plains become home to thousands of red lechwe, the ubiquitous puku, stately roan and sable as well as the diminutive oribi and duiker. The Defassa waterbuck, herds of tsessebe, hartebeest, zebra and buffalo make up a full set of antelope. Naturally this wealth of game is a big attraction for predators, including leopard, wild dogs, cheetah and prides of lion up to 20 strong.

Lufupa River

In the central areas of the Kafue National Park lies the Lufupa river, characterised by miombo and riverine woodlands. Though the game is not as rich as on the Busanga plains, there are plenty of rarer species of antelope such as roan, sable, oribi and defassa waterbuck. Predators include lion, cheetah and leopard, as well as a good number of wild dog. Indeed the Lufupa is Kafue’s best area for leopard sightings.

So a Kafue safari is ideal for the experienced wildlife enthusiast or birder.