South Luangwa National Park and the wildlife

There are thousands of people in the world who love watching or spotting animals in various places, especially the endangered or uncommon species. They in fact, make a trip to various national parks where such species could be found in large number offering them amazing game play at the site. Such things are very different and visiting a national park is always one of the best options for the tourists who can enjoy watching such species, scenic beauty of the area, as well as other attractions.

So here you go to explore, enjoy and make your trip one of the favorites in the list by visiting the South Luanga National Park. This park lies in the eastern Zambia and is one of the three southernmost national parks. The parks could be found in the valley of the Laungwa River, which is the world famous wildlife haven. The park supports huge number of populations that include Thorneycroft’s Giraffe, buffalo, and herds of elephant, whereas, the river supports rich number of crocodiles as well as hippopotamuses.

The South Luangwa National Park is among the best known national parks in the entire Africa that offers great walking safaris. The park was first founded as a game reserve in the year 1938 and then it became a national park in the year 1972, which today covers an area of 9,050 square kilometres. The park’s formation as the western or the northwestern boundary is all because of the Muchinga Escarpment that lies in the northern as well as Central Provinces. Until the river, it slopes down from the northwestern boundary and lies almost on the western bank of the river.

Besides this, the eastern bank of the river is located in the Eastern Province, which is the only access point to the park. The park offers two distinct eco-regions and both of them are of woodland savannah, which could be differentiated from the dominate tree like the Southern Miombo woodlands that covers the valley’s higher slopes and the Zambezian as well as the Mopane woodlands, covering the valley’s bottom. As the site offers larger patches of grassland, you could spot the grazers like zebra and also the leaf browsers like giraffe. The Luangwa valley that is stretched towards the west by the Lunsemfwa River valley includes few of the diversity of animals like Crawshay’s Zabra and Cookson’s wildebeest that are endemic to the valley.

To best animals, which you could see in this region are the hippos that are simply amazing. Initially, the park was also home to the black rhinos that were wiped out in the year 1987 and the population of elephant came under serious pressure over the time. The prime settlement of the park is exactly outside the eastern edge, which is at Mfuwe and is the home to an international airport. If you visit the site in the month of November, you could see herd of some ten elephants heading towards a specific mango grove, walking straight through the Mfuwe Lodge. Well, it is an annual ritual that could be experienced every year in the month of November.

The lodge was constructed on the traditional route of the elephants. However, nothing has been seen yet to stop them. During this event, many people enjoy observing such a great event and until now, no incidents have been reported at the site.

The park is the home of 60 various animal species as well as more than 400 species of bird. So you have wonderful choices as to how to spot them and enjoy the safaris. If you want to enjoy experiencing the bird species in the park, then visit here during the rainy season that remains between the months of November and April. However, to enjoy the game, you should visit the park during dry season, as during this time animals flock closer to the water source.