The Busanga Plains

Writer: Sarah Kingdom Photography: Joanne Hedger, Mukambi Safari Lodge

Kafue National Park is the oldest park in Zambia and one of the largest in all of Africa. It is relatively untouched by development and remains a pristine wilderness with sublime scenery, fantastic game viewing and impressive bird watching.

In the far north of the park, the Lufupa RiverflowsintotheBusangaSwamps. Duringtherains,thisfloodsoutover the adjacent plains. The Busanga Plains are the jewel of Kafue National Park—a vast mosaic of grassy seasonal floodplainsstretchingtothehorizon. These 720-square-kilometre floodplainsaredottedwithpalm groves, papyrus-choked reed beds, lily-covered lagoons, broad-leaved woodlands, open waterways and riverine vegetation. The plains drain after the rainy season and attract large numbers of game and fantastic birdlife…undoubtedly the best place for wildlife viewing in Kafue. pods of hippo, extensive red lechwe populations, blue wildebeest, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, defassa waterbuck, roan and sable antelope and the rare oribi as well as some of the largest herds of buffalo in the park, often numbering into the hundreds. Due to such a wealth of plains game, predator numbers are also strong, with large prides of lion a highlight of the region.

Being submerged for most of the year thesefloodedplainsareamagnetfor birds.Water,islandsoffigtreesand floodplainsmakeforsuperbbirding and more than 500 bird species have been recorded here. Ross’s and Schalow’s turacos, red-throated twinspot,brownfirefinch,sootychat, the rare rosy-throated (also known as the pink-throated or rosy-breasted) longclaw, countless herons amongst thelargeflocksofopen-billedand yellow-billed storks, as well as rare wattled cranes and endemic Zambian barbet (Chaplin’s barbet) can all be seen.

We were at Plains Camp, the seasonal, beautiful bush camp of Mukambi Safaris located in the north of the Busanga Plains. The camp overlooks the open plains, only interrupted by tree-studdedislands,wherefigtrees and wild date palms draw their nutrients from the remains of giant anthills. Our favourite part of camp was a wooden viewing platform on stilts tucked away high up in a fantastic figtree,withbreathtakingviewsout ontothefloodplain.Theskywasalight withfiresthenightswewerethere, most likely ignited by poachers or fishermen,andfromourvantagepoint weweremesmerisedastheflames made their way across the plains, burnishing the sky brilliant orange.

In the morning mist, as the sun started to peep above the horizon, the plains were liberally dotted with herds of red lechwe of various ages and sizes, from new-borns to a couple of one- horned, battle-scarred grandparents. Many of the herds numbered in their hundreds. Amongst these herds there was a sprinkling of wattled and crowned cranes, many with young in attendance. Wattled cranes, with their sharp, slim beaks and slender legs, are the largest cranes in Africa and thetallestflyingbirdonthecontinent. Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, wattled cranes are often found with lechwe on the Busanga Plains.

Crowned cranes, with their crowns of stiff gold feathers, are regularly seen on the plains. Standing about a metre tall and with a wingspan of around two metres, these cranes are omnivores, eating anything from plantsandseedstofrogs,smallfishand even snakes. Stamping their feet as they walk,theyflushoutinsectswhichthey quickly catch and eat. They capitalise on feeding near the red lechwe by darting in and grabbing prey that have been disturbed by the antelopes’ movements. Crowned cranes’ entire days are spent looking for food, but at night they roost in trees. These are the only cranes that can roost in trees, because they have a long hind toe for grasping branches.

As the sun rose in the sky we found a family of eight lions: two females with their six cubs. The cubs were intensely curious, cominginclose,sniffingthewheelsand then stretching out to relax in the shade cast by the vehicle. One youngster, clearly a little bored, took hold of a large round ball of elephant poo in his mouth and carried it off to play with it. Despite his best efforts he couldn’t interest anyone else in the game. Afternoon on the Busanga Plains, and a goliath heron stood sentinel in a lagoon as Egyptian geese nibbled at the green grass intheshallows.Apiedkingfisher,with its black mask, hovered, wings moving frantically, before diving vertically into the water...time and time again. A procession of buffalo, over 1,000 strong, stretched out for kilometres across the plains like a string of black pearls.

Moving on, we headed for the southernmost edges of the plains, to Ntemwa-Busanga Camp, a rustic bush camp of safari tents with open-air en suite bathrooms, each complete with the traditional safari bucket showers. Zambia is one of few places where night drives are permitted and Ntemwa has access to a wide network of roads that cover the expanse of the plains. Late afternoonandnightdriveswereterrific here. Watching an idyllic scene of Egyptian geese, storks, cranes and various other water birds at a lagoon as the sun went down was a beautiful end to the day. As night descended we saw a selection of nocturnal creatures on our drive, from white-tailed mongoose rummaging in the undergrowth, to genets whose eyes reflectedinthespotlight,allaccompanied by the eerie cries of the crowned cranes piercing the night sky as they settled in the tree tops and darkness descended over the plains.

Wedidn’thavetoheadoutofcamptofind wildlife. At Ntemwa we not only heard hyenas calling in the night, but whilst we were safely tucked up in our beds one came into camp, thoroughly checking out what was on the menu in the kitchen, before fortunately leaving ‘empty handed’! One morning we found a trail of lion footprints pressed into the sand on our path as we headed from our tent to breakfast. Clearly there was a reason we were always escorted to our tents at night.

The Busanga Plains are one of those special places—areas of low-density tourism in a world where many remote places are becoming indiscriminately overrun by travellers. Due to its remoteness, inaccessibility and few accommodation options, it’s fortunately likely to remain that way.

Plains Camp: www.mukambi.com Ntemwa-Busanga Camp: www.jefferymckeith.com