Situated in the vast expanse of Zambia’s remote Western Province, Liuwa Plains National Park is a world-famous wildlife sanctuary. It is home to the second largest wildebeest migration in Africa and is known to have the world’s highest population of hyena. This pristine wilderness is characterised by endless golden savannah and grassy floodplains stretching over 3600 square kilometres. The park is inhabited by a diverse variety of birdlife and wildlife including: lion, wild dog, zebra, cheetah, buffalo, roan antelope and flocks of crowned and wattled cranes, to name a few. Visitors can enjoy an exhilarating flight over the awe-inspiring floodplains of the Zambezi, stroll past blooming irises and colourful lilies on a guided walking safari, soak up the spectacular scenery on a game drive, or visit a local village and learn about Liuwa’s fascinating history and traditions.
Bordering the Luangwa River, the northern and southern Luangwa National Parks contain some of the most breathtaking and untouched wilderness in Africa. As a result of this and the parks’ successful anti-poaching campaigns, the area has developed into a world-renowned wildlife haven. The South Luangwa National Park is renowned for its walking safaris, which allows visitors to view elephant, hippo and even lion close-up under the supervision of professional and knowledgeable armed guides.
South Luangwa supports a very rich flora and fauna, and the key to this is in the valley's soils. These were originally volcanic in origin, so are often rich in minerals and nutrients, augmented by fine deposits from the river. Combine these with plenty of rainfall and a position about 12–14° from the Equator, where there is plenty of light, and you have the base for a lush and diverse plant growth.
Amongst South Luangwa's many herbivores, three several stand out as being endemic to the area. The beautiful Thornicroft's giraffe has a different (and more striking) coloration than the giraffes in the rest of southern Africa.
Cookson's wildebeest differ in having slightly reddish bands and often 'cleaner' colours – and they are also a little smaller and more compact than their blue cousins. Finally Crawshay's zebra is an endemic subspecies of the more common plains zebra, completely lacking its cousin’s brown shadow-stripes between the black stripes.
Elephant and buffalo occur in hundreds-strong herds, and antelope, especially impala and puku, are numerous. Impala are very adaptable: they can browse and graze, whilst puku are best suited to well-watered riverine areas.
The main predators in the Luangwa Valley are lion, leopard, spotted hyena and wild dog. Of these, lion are probably the most common, and their large prides are often easily spotted.
South Luangwa has a top reputation as a first-class park for leopard. This is largely because leopard hunt nocturnally, and South Luangwa is one of Africa's few national parks to allow spotlit night drives.
