Kafue National Park takes its name from the 1,900 kilometre long, emerald-green Kafue River, which is fringed by riverine vegetation. During the dry season from May to November, the river is the park’s lifeblood, attracting all manner of wildlife and providing a plentiful supply of water for many different species.
Enormous crocodiles lurk in the river, and the birdlife is prolific, with specials including the Pel’s fishing owl and African finfoot. Defassa waterbuck, sable, hartebeest, blue wildebeest, Cape buffalo and Burchell’s zebra graze the grassy dambos. The prominent ilala palm is abundant in the area, and attracts elephants who rattle the fruits to the ground before throwing them into their mouths.
The northern section of the park is dominated by the vast, rolling Busanga Plain fed by the Lufupa River system, which recedes in the dry season, stranding large herds of hippos in shallow pools. This is one of the Kafue’s richest wildlife areas, attracting a diverse range of antelope that includes many thousands of red lechwe and – deep in the swamps – the reclusive sitatunga. This profusion of game attracts numerous lion, leopard and cheetah, while for birders the park is a not to be missed destination offering the colourful spectacle of more than 500 recorded species.
As well as being one of the largest parks, Kafue is also one of Zambia’s oldest parks. Although it wasn’t awarded national park status until 1950, Kafue was established as a protected area under British colonial rule as early as 1924.
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