Kafue

Despite its beauty and diversity, the comparative inaccessibility of Kafue means that it remains gloriously untamed!

The Kafue National Park in Western Zambia is the largest national park in Africa at 22,000 km². (The Kruger is only 15,000 km².). And yet it only receives 15,000 visitors in a year compared to the Kruger's 1.5 million visitors. (And lets not even compare to the busy Serengeti or the Mara..)

And yet the Busanga Plains offers both a sheer quantity and diversity of predator sightings which is astounding. It is a secret gem.

A safari in Kafue National Park offers a unique range of habitats. From the memorable Busanga floodplains in the north to the verdant vegetation of the south. So it supports a rewarding variety of wildlife including cheetah. (These 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. As well as the ubiquitous puku, stately roan and sable plus the diminutive oribi and duiker. The Defassa waterbuck and herds of tsessebe, hartebeest, zebra and buffalo make up the full set of wildlife. Naturally this wealth of game is a big attraction for predators. These include leopard, wild dogs, cheetah and prides of lion up to 20 strong.

If you only have 2-3 nights for the Kafue, spend them in the Busanga Plains.

Lufupa River

However if you have more time, we recommend visiting either the central or southern areas of the Kafue National Park. Here 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. These include 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 all in all, a Kafue safari is ideal for the experienced wildlife enthusiast and/or birder.

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