Kasanka National Park is in the north of Zambia and is one of the country’s smallest parks.
It sits in part of the Congo Basin. The ecology is similar to dryer well-known safari habitats in eastern and southern Africa and the rainforests of central Africa. They include rainforest, papyrus swamp, wet grassland, plains, forested rivers and miombo woodland. Hence more varied fauna and flora species than elsewhere in Zambia.
Trees are a significant feature, and one of the ebonies has a magnificent hide. The Fibwe tree hide is a real highlight as it’s one of the best ways to see the sitatunga antelope in the reed beds.
Sitatunga or marsh buck live in wet marshy areas. Here in the Kasanka, the papyrus swamps are one of the gems of the park as they host good numbers of the elusive antelope.
Up to 15 million African straw-coloured bats fly into the skies at sunset from November to December. So their annual migration to the Mushitu swamp evergreen forest is the largest gathering of mammals anywhere on Planet Earth.
The park is also home to around 115 mammal species including the elephant and more common antelope. Spotting the blue monkey is a particular highlight along with the magnificent birding opportunities. There are over 471 bird species in this area, making it a birders paradise.
Frequently observed species include Wattled Crane, Pel’s fishing owl, African Finfoot, Ross’s and Schalow’s Turaco, Anchieta’s Sunbird and Bohms Bee-eater.
