Liuwa Plain National Park

The Liuwa Plain National Park lies in Western Province, Zambia, west of the Barotse Floodplain of the Zambezi River near the border with Angola. It was designated as a game reserve of Barotseland by the king, Lewanika, in the nineteenth century and became a national park in 1972.

Location and access

The park has no road access and no facilities, and is situated in one of most out-of-the way and least-populated areas of the country. The nearest settlement is the small town of Kalabo, about 40 km south which normally can only be reached from the provincial capital Mongu by dirt tracks and a pontoon ferry over the Zambezi. Visitors need an off-road vehicle, and have to be completely self sufficient. There is a camp ground in Kalabo, but no rest houses and no facilities in the park. As a consequence of all this it is rarely visited; according to the Bradt guide to Zambia, it received only fifty visitors in 2000 and 121 in 2002.

Wildlife

Situated in the Western Zambezian grasslands ecoregion, it is bounded by the Luambimba and Luanginga Rivers and consists of a grassy plain with numerous pans, around which a variety of animals, including large mammals such as blue wildebeest and tsessebe gather. It is also known for its diverse birdlife.

See also

• Wildlife of Zambia