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Liuwa Plains - An immense wonderness, 35,000 wildebeest and staggering bird populations
Robin Pope Safaris, whose superb camps in Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley will be familiar to some, is offering guests the chance to experience a special one-off safari in remote western Zambia.
Owner Jo Pope says, “Tell a seasoned Africa traveller you are going to Liuwa Plains and you have their attention. Many have heard of these vast open grasslands in the far west of Zambia but few, very very few, have been there.”
This notorious status is mostly due to the blue wildebeest population, some 35,000 of which move to and fro between the western boundary on the Angolan border and the centre of the plains. Some experts say this is the third largest migration in Africa, and you can expect to see large herds of up to 1000 wildebeest, with zebra and sometimes tsessebe amongst them, criss-crossing the plains.
So why have so few people been there? It is extremely hard to get to, accessible only by boat apart from a few months of the year. Even when driving is possible it’s a serious expedition with many miles of deeply rutted roads, dodgy pontoons and no road signs.
Why go? The Liuwa plains are an immense wilderness area, brimming with birds and home to huge numbers of animals. The landscape is completely flat and the skies vast. You really are in the middle of wild, remote and isolated lands.
The birdlife throughout the year is spectacular. It is home to large groups of dancing crowned crane, sometime numbering several hundred and often mingling with the many wattled cranes that are never far from view. Bustards, both Denham and white-bellied, are common and secretary birds stalk the plains. The water birds are diverse in species and the sheer numbers are staggering. Flocks containing hundreds of pelicans, egrets, spoonbills, yellow and open-billed storks gather at the pans, which are often a white carpet of water lilies. The waders run around the shores of these pans keeping any birder occupied for hours. In December the resident birds are joined by many thousands of migrants passing through.
Other than wildebeest, there are zebra, tsessebe, red lechwe, oribi and steinbuck with the less common roan, eland and buffalo. The predators include inquisitive hyena, large packs of wild dog, cheetah and a single remaining lioness that lives near the camp. Sightings of side-striped jackal, porcupine, a huge python and other specials always enhance the day.
Robin Pope used to lead expeditions into the plains during the nineties but has not done so for ten years. He has never lost the yearning to return and will do so in December 2008 and May/June 2009. The safaris will be based in an African Parks camp which although offering a slightly lower standard of accommodation than Robin Pope’s usual camps will be hosted with the same five star service. Each safari will be 4 or 5 days with a maximum of 6 guests, or 8 if travelling as a single group.
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