Kafue is not about the sheer numbers of wildlife you see; it is about the diversity of wildlife. This is not to say Kafue does not have healthy populations of many of the more charismatic species of animals because it does, but if you are looking for the ‘Big 5 in 24 hours’ experience then you will miss the point of this special place.
Kafue is home to more species of ungulate than any national park south of the Congo Basin. Rare and elusive antelope such as blue and yellow-backed duikers occur in the thickets, sitatunga and lechwe in the swamps, roan, sable and hartebeest in the miombo woodlands… the list goes on.
The park is regarded as one of the best places in Africa to find leopard. In certain areas and times of year these secretive and elusive predators are frequently seen, especially on night-drives (allowed in the Kafue) and even from afternoon boat cruises along the Kafue River in the hotter months when they come down to drink.
A rarity for Zambia is the cheetah. Cheetah aren’t found in the South Luangwa or Lower Zambezi National Parks and only occur in the west of Zambia, with Liuwa Plains and the Kafue holding the last viable populations of this rare and charismatic predator. In Kafue, cheetahs are not solely restricted to the plains; in fact, they do very well in mixed woodland and riverine areas, where they can be found preying on puku and impala, among other antelope.
Cheetah are found throughout the Kafue, from Nanzhila in the south to Busanga in the north.
The African wild dog is a highly sought-after sighting; these exceptionally rare and elusive predators are not easy to find. Kafue has, however, what some might say the largest population of this species compared to any other national park in Africa. Packs can be found on both sides of the Kafue River and in almost all habitat types, from dense woodland to riverine and dambo areas. This species receives much-needed and warranted interest in Kafue from various conservation organisations. In 2011 the Zambian Carnivore Programme began baseline studies of wild dog in Kafue.
The Kafue River and its tributaries are a hive of activity and home to pods of hippo and some of the largest crocodiles in southern Africa. As the bush dries out towards August and September it is not uncommon to watch elephant frolicking in the water and swimming from bank to bank, with their trunks holding on to the tails of the individuals in front.
Thousands of red lechwe can be found as far as the eye can see at the Busanga Plains, often in the company of some of Africa’s most relaxed herds of roan antelope and large herds of buffalo. As a consequence of this rich environment birdlife is equally prolific, with flocks of pelican, egrets of many species and the most numerous gatherings of open-billed storks that spiral skywards in their thousands in the late afternoon.
Busanga is one of the few known breeding sites for endangered wattled cranes and it is not uncommon to see large aggregations of these rare birds, sometimes in mixed flocks with the iconic crowned cranes that scour the plains in search of food. Busanga is famous for its predator sightings, notably lion. The Busanga prides are well known by the guides at the safari camps situated on the plains and nobody can give you a better insight into the dynamics of this fascinating population.
There are few parks in Africa in which sightings of these more unusual species are so possible: pangolin, bushpig, spring hare, monitor lizards, aardvark, numerous mongoose, civet, serval, caracal, wild cat, bush baby, grysbok, oribi, roan, honey badger, otters, sitatunga… the list goes on and stops only at 158 recorded species of mammals!
