North Luangwa National Park
The North Luangwa National park was started as a game reserve in 1938, and this remote 4,636 square kilometre tract of land was re-gazetted and became a National park in 1972. There is a wide range of species diversity within the park, including Zambia’s elephant stronghold, the world’s largest concentration of hippos, Zambia’s only black rhino population and one of the highest lion densities in the region. The park and adjacent Game Management Areas cover roughly 22,000 square kilometres.
The Park sits in the oldest section of the Great Rift Valley, and is the most northern of the three national parks found in the Luangwa Valley. The valley is some 700 kilometres long and 100 kilometres wide, and is bordered by the Muchinga Escarpment in the west and Mafinga Mountains in the east. The Luangwa River flows along the valley floor, fed by six perennial rivers. The river carves a winding course and, when in flood, rapidly erodes the outer bends, depositing silt, creating loops, cutting new courses, and ultimately forming ‘ox bow’ lagoons. These lagoons are very important to the ecology of the riverine zone and account for the high wildlife-carrying capacity of the area, giving rise to four National Parks along its banks. The Lufila and Mwaleshi rivers, both perennial, flow clear in the dry season down the escarpment through a series of gorges and waterfalls to reach the valley floor and feed the Luangwa River.
The Mwaleshi River, running centrally west-east through North Park, is the current focus for tourism with game drives permitted on the north bank; and with no roads or game drives permitted on the south bank, it is a walking safari paradise.
The Luangwa Valley lies at the end of the Rift Valley’s continental fault, which runs from the Red Sea down the length of East Africa and on to Antarctica. This is the reason for the spectacular escarpment scenery in East Africa as well as the Great African Lakes. As the Rift reaches Zambia, it divides: one arm to the east creates Lake Malawi, and the western arm becomes the Luangwa Valley.
The North Luangwa is the only in park Zambia boasting the Big 5, and offers one of the most spectacular settings for game viewing experiences in Zambia. Although the ecology, wildlife and landscapes of the North and South Luangwa National Parks are virtually identical – some 24% of North Luangwa National Park extends west into the Muchinga escarpment thus providing a greater diversity of habitats, particularly for birdlife.
The escarpment is home to some more unusual mammals, including occasional sightings of sable antelope, blue duiker and blue monkeys. In the North Luangwa there is more of a chance of seeing Cookson’s wildebeest, one of the Valley’s endemic subspecies. Another such is the Thornicroft’s giraffe which have been gradually expanding their range.
The North Luangwa suffered from a lack of protection, and poachers shot and killed indiscriminately, decimating the elephant population and completely wiping out black rhino.
Therefore, 1986 saw the creation of the North Luangwa Conservation Programme partnership. Originally established by Mark and Delia Owens, who were granted permission to set up a research station in the park – and who soon saw a need for anti-poaching initiatives from local communities. These efforts led to a virtual end to poaching; to an improvement in the lives of local villagers; and a stabilisation of the Park for wildlife, as well as the people living around it.
As wildlife numbers increased, it opened up a tourism niche, with a limited number of visitors coming into the Park for guided walking safaris and game drives. To this day North Park remains largely untouched.
In 2003, black rhinos were reintroduced to the park, with the goal of re-establishing a viable, breeding population of this critically endangered species.
There are two distinct seasons that are experienced in the Luangwa Valley. Temperatures during these seasons vary from lows of 10°C, in June and July, to highs of 40°C, in October. The dry season is from May to November, and the Emerald season, from December to April (and can boast some spectacular and dramatic thunderstorms.
The Park sits in the oldest section of the Great Rift Valley, and is the most northern of the three national parks found in the Luangwa Valley. The valley is some 700 kilometres long and 100 kilometres wide, and is bordered by the Muchinga Escarpment in the west and Mafinga Mountains in the east. The Luangwa River flows along the valley floor, fed by six perennial rivers. The river carves a winding course and, when in flood, rapidly erodes the outer bends, depositing silt, creating loops, cutting new courses, and ultimately forming ‘ox bow’ lagoons. These lagoons are very important to the ecology of the riverine zone and account for the high wildlife-carrying capacity of the area, giving rise to four National Parks along its banks. The Lufila and Mwaleshi rivers, both perennial, flow clear in the dry season down the escarpment through a series of gorges and waterfalls to reach the valley floor and feed the Luangwa River.
The Mwaleshi River, running centrally west-east through North Park, is the current focus for tourism with game drives permitted on the north bank; and with no roads or game drives permitted on the south bank, it is a walking safari paradise.
The Luangwa Valley lies at the end of the Rift Valley’s continental fault, which runs from the Red Sea down the length of East Africa and on to Antarctica. This is the reason for the spectacular escarpment scenery in East Africa as well as the Great African Lakes. As the Rift reaches Zambia, it divides: one arm to the east creates Lake Malawi, and the western arm becomes the Luangwa Valley.
The North Luangwa is the only in park Zambia boasting the Big 5, and offers one of the most spectacular settings for game viewing experiences in Zambia. Although the ecology, wildlife and landscapes of the North and South Luangwa National Parks are virtually identical – some 24% of North Luangwa National Park extends west into the Muchinga escarpment thus providing a greater diversity of habitats, particularly for birdlife.
The escarpment is home to some more unusual mammals, including occasional sightings of sable antelope, blue duiker and blue monkeys. In the North Luangwa there is more of a chance of seeing Cookson’s wildebeest, one of the Valley’s endemic subspecies. Another such is the Thornicroft’s giraffe which have been gradually expanding their range.
The North Luangwa suffered from a lack of protection, and poachers shot and killed indiscriminately, decimating the elephant population and completely wiping out black rhino.
Therefore, 1986 saw the creation of the North Luangwa Conservation Programme partnership. Originally established by Mark and Delia Owens, who were granted permission to set up a research station in the park – and who soon saw a need for anti-poaching initiatives from local communities. These efforts led to a virtual end to poaching; to an improvement in the lives of local villagers; and a stabilisation of the Park for wildlife, as well as the people living around it.
As wildlife numbers increased, it opened up a tourism niche, with a limited number of visitors coming into the Park for guided walking safaris and game drives. To this day North Park remains largely untouched.
In 2003, black rhinos were reintroduced to the park, with the goal of re-establishing a viable, breeding population of this critically endangered species.
There are two distinct seasons that are experienced in the Luangwa Valley. Temperatures during these seasons vary from lows of 10°C, in June and July, to highs of 40°C, in October. The dry season is from May to November, and the Emerald season, from December to April (and can boast some spectacular and dramatic thunderstorms.
