South Luangwa National Park

In 1904, the Luangwa Game Park was proclaimed on the river's eastern bank. By 27 May 1938, three parks were created in the valley: North Luangwa Game Reserve, Lukusuzi Game Reserve, and South Luangwa Game Reserve. South Luangwa Game Reserve corresponds roughly with today's South Luangwa National Park - except for adding Chifungwe Plain. South Luangwa National Park was established on 15 February 1972 when legislation turned all the game reserves into national parks. Norman Carr pioneered the walking safari here and was one of the reserve's first rangers.

Anthropogenic history in the park dates back at least 2 million years ago. Archeologists found Early, Middle, and Late Stone Age stone tools here, and evidence of early agriculture appeared around 400 AD. In more recent history, the Portuguese founded the first settlement, "Zumbo," on the eastern banks of the Luangwa River in 1546. It was the first Portuguese settlement in what is now Zambia. In the 19th century, European explorers such as the Portuguese Antonio Gamitto and the famous Dr. David Livingstone traversed Luangwa.

The abundance and diversity of wildlife in South Luangwa National Park rival the finest reserves in the world. Lions are the most common predators; large prides are relatively easy to spot. The park is possibly the best place to find leopards, as their consecration of one leopard for every 2.5 km² is twice that of Kruger National Park. Thus, you will likely encounter this elusive predator and the spotted hyena on a night drive. The elusive wild dogs do occur but are rarely seen. There are only a handful of cheetah sightings in a year. Impala is by far the most common antelope, followed by the puku.

Thousands of hippopotamuses congregate in the Luangwa River. Elephants are plentiful and not too skittish around people. Buffalo herds more than a hundred strong are present. The only Big Five animal missing is the rhinoceros, which has sadly been hunted and poached into extinction. Unique sub-species such as Thornicroft's giraffe, Cookson's wildebeest, Crawshay's zebra, and defassa waterbuck attract wildlife enthusiasts from around the globe. The tropical forest and dry plains are home to hundreds of bird species. During the rainy summer, yellow-billed storks with pink breeding plumage fill the trees, and migrants are abundant. A few notable species include the African skimmers, giant eagle owls, and carmine bee-eaters.

The park stretches over two eco-regions: Zambezian and Mopane woodlands are most prominent on the lower parts of the valley, while the Southern Miombo woodlands cover the higher areas. Both regions are classified as woodland savanna, and grassland can be found within these areas. Closer to the river, patches of floodplains are prevalent, which are extremely important for the river ecosystem, including the larger animals, such as the crocodile and hippopotamus.

The Luangwa River that winds through the park – one of the main tributaries of the Zambezi River – generally floods in the rainy season and is one of the largest in Zambia. It is the habitat of the largest concentration of hippos in the world. The tributaries of the Luangwa River are dry throughout most of the year, but you can follow the giant mahogany trees found on their banks to the park's main river. The key to the park's lush and diverse flora lies in the volcanic, nutrient-rich, and even salt pans such as the Kakumbi pan in the Nsefu region.