Luambe National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Luambe Safaris

Expert

Philip is our Zambia expert and author of more than 20 guidebooks to Africa.

After years of poaching, Luambe National Park is slowly returning to its former glory. Aside from black rhino, all the usual wildlife is present. Elephants and buffalo are regular visitors to the lagoon, and there is a good variety of antelopes. Hundreds of hippos gather in the river in front of Luambe Camp in the Dry season and crocodiles are abundant too.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeOccasional

HippoAbundant

BuffaloCommon

ZebraOccasional

WildebeestOccasional

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardRare

CheetahNone

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogRare

Wildlife Highlights

Luambe is home to several very localized subspecies. Herds of Thornicroft's giraffe, endemic to the Luangwa Valley, form a perfect picture when feeding on shady sausage trees. Another subspecies unique to the valley is Cookson's wildebeest, numbers of which are increasing rapidly. Also of interest is the local subspecies of plains zebra, the Crawshay's zebra with its distinct narrow stripes.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The middle until the end of the Dry season – July to October – is the best time for wildlife viewing in Luambe. At this time, animals gather at the lagoons, and the vegetation thins out making spotting easier. The park becomes totally inaccessible in the Wet season (November to April), and the only camp operates from June to October.