Lower Zambezi

Lower Zambezi Valley

The Lower Zambezi Valley, including the National Park (LZNP) and surrounding Game Management Areas (GMA’s), is rich in biological diversity.  The forests, wetlands and natural geographical features form unique and complex ecosystems that support abundant wildlife. The wilderness, landscapes and natural resources are of exceptional value.

The valley is home to a large number of mammal species including elephant, hippo, buffalo, kudu, zebra, impala, bushbuck, duiker, klipspringer, lion, leopard, hyenas, African wild dog, serval, civet, genet, aardvark, chac-ma baboon and vervet and blue monkeys, just to name a few. With the Zambezi River as one of the parks natural boundaries, the area also attracts an abundance of bird life estimated to include almost 400-bird species.

The Lower Zambezi National Park (LZNP) is situated in the South Eastern part of Zambia on the north bank of the Zambezi River, approximately 150 kilometres down stream from Kariba Dam and opposite Zimbabwe's Mana Pools National Park, a World Heritage site.  It gently slopes from the Zambezi Escarpment down to the river, straddling two main woodland savannah ecoregions distinguished by the dominant types of tree, Miombo and Mopane: Southern Miombo woodlands on higher ground in the north, and Zambezian and Mopane woodlands on lower slopes in the south. At the edge of the river is floodplain habitat.

It was established in 1983 and covers an area of 4,092 square kilometres, with 120 kilometres of river frontage. Although modest, the LZNP is the second largest tourism revenue generator in Zambia’s National Park system.

The combination of limited Government resources, poor community awareness of natural resource opportunities and illegal hunting activities has had a serious impact on wildlife and habitat in the area. In the last twenty years, elephant populations have been decimated, the large number of black rhino has been exterminated, and commercial meat poaching operations have taken a major toll.

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A Protected Environment With Abundant And Diverse Wildlife

Contact Conservation Lower Zambezi: CLZ@iwayafrica.com