Kasanka National Park is located in the Chitambo District of Zambia’s Central Province. It covers an area of about 390 kilometers (150 miles), making it one of Zambia’s smallest national parks. Kasanka was the first national park in Zambia to be managed through a partnership between a private group and the government. The Kasanka Trust Ltd., a privately funded organization, has managed the park since 1986. It works with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW, formerly ZAWA) to oversee the park’s operations. The park’s average elevation ranges from 1,160 meters (3,810 feet) to 1,290 meters (4,230 feet) above sea level. It contains several permanent shallow lakes and water bodies, with the largest being Wasa. Five rivers flow through the park year-round, with the largest being the Luwombwa River. The Luwombwa River is the only river that drains the park, exiting in the northwestern corner. It flows into the Luapula River, which also drains the Bangweulu Swamp and is a major source of the Congo River. Although Kasanka National Park is part of the Greater Bangweulu Ecosystem, it does not have a direct water connection to the Bangweulu Wetlands.
The park is home to 114 recorded mammal species, including elephants, hippos, and sitatungas. Some species have been reintroduced to the park by the Kasanka Trust, with zebras and buffalos being the most successful examples. Nearly ten million straw-colored fruit bats migrate to the Mushitu swamp evergreen forest in the park each year from October to December, making it the largest mammal migration in the world. Over 471 bird species have been identified in the park. There is an airfield (ICAO: FLKA) located in the park.
Topography and vegetation
Kasanka National Park has altitudes ranging from 1,160 meters (3,810 feet) to 1,290 meters (4,230 feet) above sea level. The park is located in Zambia’s Serenje District. Some sources say the park covers an area of about 390 square kilometers (150 square miles), while others report an area close to 450 square kilometers (170 square miles). This makes Kasanka one of Zambia’s smaller national parks. The park’s landscape is mostly flat with few hills or mountains, except for Mambilima Falls near the Kasanka Conservation Centre and the rocky Mpululwe and Bwalya Bemba hills. Nine permanent lakes are found within the park, and it is crossed by a network of rivers and streams. The larger rivers include the Luwombwa, Mulembo, Kasanka, Mulaushi, and the swampy Musola River. These rivers and streams, along with lagoons, are covered with reeds and papyrus plants. All these rivers eventually flow into the Luapula River, which is the main drainage outlet for the Bangweulu basin and a major tributary of the Congo River.
Habitats
Kasanka National Park has many different types of habitats. Brachystegia woodland, also called Miombo Woodland, covers about 70% of the park. It is mixed with grassy dambos and has a wide variety of tree species. In some areas, the trees form a half-closed canopy, while other areas have a thick layer of grasses and plants. Frequent fires often remove the grassy layer and young trees, leading to Miombo Woodland with large, widely spaced trees. Many years of burning early in the season have helped create Miombo Woodland with more young trees and thickets.
Three types of evergreen forests are found in Kasanka: Mushitu (swamp forest), riverine forests, and small areas of Mateshe (dry evergreen forest). Mushitu forests have tall red mahogany trees, waterberry trees, and quinine trees. The largest area of intact Mushitu, near Fibwe, is where straw-colored fruit bats gather every year from October to December, making it the largest fruit bat roost in the world. Riverine forests grow along most rivers, with the longest stretches found along the Luwombwa River. Mateshe forests were likely common in the past but are now rare due to frequent fires. All forest types are at risk from wildfires because the trees they support are not fire-resistant.
Chipya, also called Lake Basin Woodland, has scattered trees that do not form a complete canopy. This allows sunlight to reach the ground, helping tall grasses grow. Chipya woodlands are prone to very hot fires during the dry season, which is why they are called "chiya" (meaning "burnt" in the local language). Chipya typically grows on relatively flat areas and is believed to be a type of woodland that developed after fires affected Mateshe.
Dambos are grassy drainage channels and basins with little or no trees but have very nutritious grasses. Most trees grow on exposed termite mounds because dambos hold water well. Dambos are important for grazing mammals and other woodland animals that feed on the edges, especially during the dry season. Large grassy plains, such as Chinyangali near Fibwe and the Chikufwe plain east of the Luwombwa River, are also found in the park.
Papyrus swamps are among the most special areas of Kasanka. These wetlands have large areas of thick papyrus plants and are home to the rare sitatunga antelope.
Kasanka has nine permanent lakes and over 100 kilometers (62 miles) of rivers flowing through the park. Many rivers, especially the Luwombwa in the west, have forests growing along their banks. Large areas of grassy floodplains are found along the Kasanka, Mulembo, and Luwombwa rivers. The rivers and lakes support a wide variety of fish and are home to many other aquatic and semi-aquatic animals.
Fauna
A total of 114 mammal species have been recorded in the park. Although their numbers were once very low, because of efforts to stop poaching, wildlife populations in Kasanka have improved. Puku are the most common antelope and live on the grassy floodplains and dambos throughout the Park. Common duiker, bushbuck, warthog, vervet monkey, and Kinda baboon (related to the yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus)) are often seen in the park. Hippopotamuses can frequently be found in Kasanka’s rivers and lakes, including Lake Wasa, which is near the main lodge. Kasanka is perhaps the best place in the world to see the shy sitatunga, of which the park holds an estimated 500-1,000 animals. The park also offers good chances to see the rare blue monkey.
Elephants are doing better now, and several groups of breeding females and male elephants move through the park and the surrounding area. Some areas, like Chikufwe, are home to common reedbuck, buffalo, sable antelope, and Lichtenstein's hartebeest, which are often seen during the dry season. A small number of plains zebra live in the park. Roan antelope, defassa waterbuck, and Sharpe's grysbok are present but are rarely seen. Warthog numbers are increasing, and they are often spotted. Yellow-backed duiker and Moloney’s monkey, which are hunted in other places, have also seen population growth in the park.
The largest predator living in the park is the leopard. Lions and hyenas are no longer permanent residents, but hyenas visit seasonally. Side-striped jackals are common and often seen in the early morning. A variety of smaller carnivores live in the park, including water mongoose, white-tailed mongoose, African civet, and large spotted genet, which are often seen at night. Slender, banded, and dwarf mongoose are frequently seen crossing paths during the day. Caracal, serval, honey badger, and the rare Meller's mongoose also live in the park but are rarely seen. Two species of otter live in Kasanka’s rivers, marshes, and lakes.
The first of Kasanka’s famous straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) arrive in the middle of October each year. By mid-November, the roost reaches its highest number, with about eight to ten million bats. This is believed to be the highest concentration of mammalian biomass on Earth and the largest known mammal migration. The bats usually arrive when the first rains begin and when local fruits and berries, such as masuku (wild loquat) and waterberry, start to ripen. These fruits are the bats’ main food source, and it is estimated that they eat about 330,000 tonnes of fruit over three months.
The bat roost is located in one of the largest remaining areas of Mushitu (indigenous forest) in Kasanka along the Musola stream. There are several observation points in trees at the edge of the forest that allow excellent views of the bats flying at dawn and dusk. The large number of bats attracts many predators and scavengers to the bat forest. Raptors such as martial eagles, Southern African rock pythons, steppe eagles, common buzzards, African fish eagles, lesser spotted eagles, greater spotted eagles, African hawk-eagles, Ayres’s hawk-eagles, black kites, palm-nut vultures, white-backed vultures, Amur falcons, and Eurasian hobby gather near the roost to hunt. Leopard, Nile monitors, and Nile crocodiles also hunt bats that fall to the forest floor.
The origin of the bat colonies that make up this large group is not fully known, but it is believed that bats travel from other parts of Africa, including Congo. Studies show that the abundance of fruit during the season is the main reason for the migration. The bats begin arriving in the first week of October, with numbers peaking in November and early December. Numbers start to decrease around the second week of December. The last bats leave Kasanka later each year, with the final ones usually leaving in early January. A study in the African Journal of Ecology suggested that the bats’ migration might harm the forest over time by increasing tree deaths. The Kasanka Trust manages fires to protect the forest, and a "Fire Exclusion Zone" has been created to allow the forest to naturally regenerate and preserve this unique event.
Kasanka has some of the best birdwatching in Africa, according to Dr. Ian Sinclair, a leading ornithologist. Over 330 bird species have been recorded in this small area, which has no changes in elevation. This makes it easy to see why this statement is true. Kasanka has a wide variety of habitats, each supporting different bird species, many of which are rare or uncommon.
A boat trip along the Luwomwba River or any other major river in the park may reveal Pel’s fishing owl, African finfoot, half-collared kingfisher, Ross’s turaco, and Böhm’s bee-eater. The large wetlands of Kasanka support species that are hard to see elsewhere, such as rufous-bellied heron, lesser jacana, and African pygmy goose. The shoebill was confirmed for the first time in 20 years at the end of 2010, and a breeding pair of wattled cranes and their young are often seen. Other birds found near wetlands and dambos include marsh tchagra, coppery-tailed coucal, Fulleborn’s longclaw, locustfinch, pale-crowned, croaking, and short-winged cisticola, chestnut-headed and streaky-breasted flufftail, harlequin and blue quail, black-rumped buttonquail, and fawn-breasted waxbill.
The Mushitu forest is home to many species, including the sought-after Narina trogon, which is often heard and seen in small forest patches near Pontoon and Fibwe. Other birds found here include blue-mantled crested flycatcher, Schalow’s turaco, brown-headed apalis
Administration and management
Zambia's wildlife management is regarded as one of the best in Africa. However, it faces growing challenges due to the country's increasing human population. These challenges include more poaching and illegal harvesting in national parks, people moving into protected areas, and deforestation caused by charcoal production and farming. In the 1980s, Zambia lacked enough trained workers, transportation, and patrols. To address this, the government asked for help from non-profit groups and private organizations. In 1985, David Lloyd, a British official, visited Kasanka National Park and heard gunshots. He was impressed by the park's diverse habitats and scenery. He believed that if poaching still happened, wildlife must still exist there. He dedicated his life to improving the park and protecting its biodiversity.
In 1987, the Kasanka Trust (KTL) was created as a non-profit organization in Zambia. It later became a registered charity in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. KTL has an agreement with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (formerly ZAWA) to manage infrastructure, habitats, community outreach, and tourism. It was the first national park in Zambia managed by a private group. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife continues to handle anti-poaching efforts in the park and nearby areas with the Trust's help. The Kasanka Trust tries to cover its costs through tourism revenue but still needs money from grants and donations.
Since KTL began working at Kasanka, many improvements have been made. A large network of roads was built, along with good tourist facilities, a community conservation center, and anti-poaching efforts. The Trust employs about 60 local workers and runs programs in nearby communities. These include helping secondary school students, teaching farming methods that protect the environment, addressing conflicts between humans and elephants, and sharing conservation messages with villages. In 2011, the Kasanka Trust started managing Lavushi Manda National Park, which was previously undeveloped and had little wildlife. This work was supported by the World Bank.