wildlife
South Luangwa has over 60 mammal species and 3 sub-species
endemic to the valley, Thornicroft's Giraffe, Cookson's Wildebeest
and Crawshay's Zebra. The diverse and highly productive
woodland and floodplain supports many herbivores which in turn
provides the perfect place for predators to make their home. Some
often seen include lions, caracal, wild dog, serval and side
striped jackals. The South Luangwa is also consistantly named as
one of the top five places in Africa to see leopards. Strangely
enough, a number of mammals such as elephant, hippo, giraffe and
impala are physically smaller than other related species in Africa.
It is almost impossible to visit the South Luangwa without seeing
hippo - with an estimated 50 hippos per kilometre of the Luangwa
River! This is bird lover's paradise. 400 out of 740 species of
Zambia's birds have been recorded in and around the park and it
also has a high population of raptors, including four species of
vulture, various large eagles, smaller goshawks, sparrow hawks, and
many owl varieties.