Lower Zambezi National Park
Situated on the banks of the Zambezi River in the south-eastern part of Zambia, the Lower Zambezi National Park covers an area of 4,092 square kilometres.
This is Zambia’s newest Park and as such is still relatively undeveloped, but its beauty lies in its absolute wilderness state. The Park lies opposite the famous Mana Pools National Park, a World Heritage Site in Zimbabwe, which ensures that a very large area of the valley is devoted to wildlife. Much of the larger game, notably elephant and buffalo, cross the river regularly.
The Lower Zambezi National Park contains varied and picturesque scenery, combining a river frontage of about 120km, with its numerous islands, lagoons and floodplains, the rift valley itself and the rugged Zambezi escarpment to the north.
The Lower Zambezi supports all the big game you would expect, with the exception of rhino, giraffe and cheetah. Enormous herds of elephant, some up to 100 strong, are often seen at the river’s edge. Buffalo are also very common and can be seen grazing on the islands in the middle of the river. Lion, leopard and spotted hyena are the major predators plus an increasing number of wild dog. Antelope species are dominated by large herds of impala, but good populations of kudu, eland, waterbuck, bushbuck and zebra also occur. Prolific numbers of hippos and crocodiles are always present in the river.
The bird life along the riverbanks is exceptional, with over 350 species recorded in the valley. Fish eagles can be seen and heard for miles around. A wide variety of water-loving birds are to be found by the river, including pied, giant, woodland, malachite and brown-hooded kingfisher. Darters, cormorants, egrets and storks are common, whilst less common residents include ospreys, spoonbills and African skimmers. Nesting along the cliffs are white fronted and carmine bee eaters. Other residents are the red winged pratincole, crested guinea fowl, Verreaux’s eagle, and vast swarms of quelea. In summer the stunning Narina’s trogon makes its home here. Other specialities are the trumpeter hornbill, Meyer's parrot and Lilian's lovebird.
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Victoria Falls