Kafue is Zambia's largest national park, covering 22,500 sq km, roughly the size of Wales. It lies west of Lusaka with the 'Great West Road' from the captial to Mongu dividing the park into northern and southern sectors.
Ranging from open plains in the north-west to thick bush and woodland in the south, the park has a wide range of wildlife, including lion, leopard, cheetah, lichtenstein's hartebeest, puku, sable, roan, waterbuck, zebra and buffalo, as well as many smaller species. There are also over 400 species of birds, 500 if you include the surrounding GMA areas.
The Busanga plains in the north are a giant wetland in the rainy season, with hippo plentiful in the rivers, and are home to aquatic antelope such as the red lechwe and the rare sitatunga. Relatively large herds of roan and sable are also found, rarely seen in other parts of Africa. The most numerous antelope is the puku. In the dry season the plains are remaniscent of the Serengeti with vistas stretching off the horizon in a heat haze - this time of year is great for Cheetah action and huge herds of buffalo passing through.
In the centre of the northern section is a game rich forest and river area with plenty of lagoons. Leopard are commonly seen and night drives produce plenty of smaller mammals such as mongoose, genet, civet and porcupine.
In the central - south east region, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi provides a welcome water source and dramatic landscapes with areas of submerged trees sticking out of the water. This lake is man made from a dam created in 1973 near Ngoma. The major river tributaries in Kafue include the Lunga and Lufupa to the north and the Nanzhila to the south.
In the far south are the Nanzhila Plains. Termite mounds stud the open grassland and there are forests of teak and candelabra trees. Elephant, buffalo, zebra and wildebeest are common and many antelope species are found here.
Wild dogs are present in the park but apart from denning season are hard to find as they cover such a vast area.
Kafue is a birders paradise, some of the regional specialities to look out for include Wattled Crane, Denham's Bustard (both on the grasslands), Pels Fishing Owl and African Finfoot along the rivers and the Blac-cheeked Lovebird in the far south.
