Living Liuwa Plains – Hunters, Scavengers And Us - Zambia - Our Final Fling

Neither Butch nor I were ready to leave Zambia just yet, and a decision was made to explore Liuwa Plains National Park, with its expansive, sandy flood plains and the captivating Angolan Wildebeest migration. The journey to Liuwa Plains was an adventure with rugged terrain and breathtaking landscapes.

 

The last summer rains had fallen, and the vast pools of water on the sandy flood plains were drying.  The carpets of green grasses rapidly changed colour as the earth dried and temperatures soared.

 

Our hearts were filled with nostalgia as we reminisced about our time in the Serengeti, where we were first introduced to the breathtaking spectacle of a Wildebeest migration. This time, we knew these pockets of wildebeest would eventually become vast herds as they grazed and meandered towards Angola, inspiring a profound sense of awe that we are eager to share with you.

We were on the edge of our seats, filled with anticipation at the prospect of encountering a predator on the prowl. The chance of sighting a feline or two added an extra thrill, making our adventure even more exciting. The presence of jackals, servals, wildcats, wild dogs, lions, and hyenas, the area's primary predators, heightened our adventure's excitement.

My trigger finger was ready, and without further ado, I meticulously prepared my camera for the wildlife photography ahead. I fitted my 100mm—400 mm lens, which is ideal for capturing wildlife due to its long range and image stabilisation, and started polishing the glass to ensure clear shots. Then, I slotted in a fully charged battery and two 64-gig memory cards, essential for long hours of shooting without interruption. I told Butch I was ready.

 

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Over the past twenty years, Liuwa Plain National Park has successfully restored its conservation legacy. This legacy, built on sustainable resource management and community engagement principles, is a testament to the power of dedicated conservation efforts. It has led to the recovery of wildlife populations and the preservation of the park's natural beauty.

Liuwa Plains National Park has one of the longest conservation histories in Africa, dating back to the 19th century, when the King of Barotseland, Lubosi Lewanika, appointed his people as custodians of the land—by the turn of the century, decades of unsustainable resource harvesting had caused vast habitat degradation and a significant decline in species.

In 2003, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) invited African Parks to help restore the legacy of Liuwa Plains. Community land-use plans were implemented with effective conservation law enforcement, and the local community played a crucial role in these initiatives. They also participated in sustainable resource use projects, including fish harvesting initiatives, to provide alternative livelihoods for local people.

In 2008, African Parks began a series of lion reintroductions, and a new life began for Lady Liuwa as she joined a pride. At the same time, eland and buffalo were reintroduced to the park and plains.

Liuwa National Park is an example of coexistence between people and wildlife, with over 12,000 Zambians legally residing within the park's boundaries. Community engagement and integration improve land protection for sustainable local access to natural resources.

In addition, communities are supported through socio-economic initiatives, such as education and healthcare programs, job opportunities in the tourism industry, and a share of the park's entrance fees. With conservation education, poaching has decreased. These initiatives contribute to the local communities' well-being and foster a sense of ownership and responsibility towards the park's conservation.

Liuwa Plains National Park is a remote park in the country's far west. Its biggest attraction is its pristine wilderness, which greatly rewards the ardent bush-lover. The park's remote location and untouched state make it a unique and memorable destination for wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists.

The wildlife scattered across the vast open plains is a testament to the untouched beauty of Liuwa Plains. Stumbling upon a large herd of wildebeest, prowling wild dogs, or the pride of dozing lions in this unspoiled corner of Africa feels particularly fitting due to its completely natural and uncommercialised state. It's a humbling experience that makes us feel incredibly privileged.

We were told that the abundant birdlife and the dramatic storms, with their dark clouds and striking lightning flashing on the horizon, contrasting with the green and gold grasslands, create spectacular views and fantastic photographic opportunities in the summer rainy season from about November. These storms, often accompanied by heavy rainfall, add a dramatic element to the landscape, making it a thrilling experience for visitors.

The game is most prolific from August to December when the grass dies down, and the vegetation thins out during the dry winter. With the onset of the rain, carpets of flowers explode around the pans. This is also when large herds of wildebeest migrate across the plains from neighbouring Angola.  They often mingle with zebra along the way or gather around water holes and pans.

Other unusual antelopes include oribi, red lechwe, steenbok, duiker, tsessebe, and roan. These species, each with distinctive characteristics and social patterns, contribute to the park's rich biodiversity.

Islands of natural, indigenous woodlands, which also make for excellent birding, dot a sea of white sand.

Many bird species migrate here during the rains, and massive flocks can be seen as they continue migrating south. Some of these are the white-bellied bustard, secretary bird, red-billed and blue-billed teals, crowned and wattled cranes, long-tailed whydah, sooty chat, yellow-throated and pink-throated longclaws, large flocks of black-winged pratincoles around the pans, fish eagle, tawny eagle, martial eagle, bee-eaters, Rollers and woodland kingfisher.

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A road trip does not always go according to plan as we traipse across the countryside. Remember, we paid a toll based on our entry and exit points in Zambia?

Sure enough, a few kilometres from our turn-off into the park, a conscientious toll agent noticed we’d not included our detour to the park when we paid our road tax.

She called her supervisor, who immediately informed us we would have to pay an additional fee. With her calculator charged up, a map, and a telephone call to the superior’s superior, this was no small thing, she informed us with raised eyebrows.

There were repercussions, and following extensive discussions, we were formally notified that we were required to pay approximately R2000 due to our actions. This unexpected turn of events added a twist to our journey, reminding us that even amid nature's beauty, there are rules and regulations to be followed.

By now, we knew that arguing would be pointless and half-heartedly coughed up. After some back and forth, we reluctantly accepted the consequences of our oversight. This spanner in the works had cost us 90 minutes, and although we knew we’d better stick to the speed limit, we made haste while the sun shone. The park’s gates close punctually at 18h00.

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The newly built road soon deteriorated, slowing us down. Fortunately, our GPS was still on track at this stage, and we were relieved to find the turn-off to the park’s gate.

We passed a few settlements, and then the road became a single, sandy track similar to sugared treacle one minute and as powdery as talcum powder the next and often the sand was blanketed in a variety of thick grass.

The tyres needed deflating. It would be a tedious slog until we found the park’s bricked signpost, where the road forked one to the left and the other straight ahead. Choosing the high road or the low road was guesswork. Not only were we flummoxed, but Google Maps and the GPS were stumped, too. Our internet connectivity would soon disappear, and our only navigational tool would be the GPS, which also went off track.

After rainfalls and floods, new tracks are made as the previous season’s tracks are obliterated. We realised that no satellite could keep up with this phenomenon, and the GPS track only indicated an earlier track. We were indeed on the road less travelled.

The sun was setting on us, and we didn’t know how far still to the Park’s entrance gate. Butch did a few calculations and roughly guessed only a few kilometres to go. We might make it to the gate, he reassured me.

That was before we entered the densely wooded forest. With our height restriction, low-hanging branches are tricky.

I have become a seasoned directions operator, and soon my hand signals were showing the way as Butch sluggishly pushed ahead, keeping his eye on me, our trajectory and the thick sand. It’s important to note that our wheel span is wider than a typical 4X4 vehicle or bakkie. This means that one wheel remains on the track while the other is elevated and runs alongside the track, presenting us with an additional handicap.

The trees were denser, and then we were stuck under a branch. Not to worry, I have a pair of secateurs handy which Butch used to prune a few branches.

It took us another kilometre before we gave up, as the track became unnavigable. We were stumped, swallowed up by the forests’ thick, low-hanging branches. We decided that this would be our wild camping spot and not a shabby one at that.

Our supper consisted of pasta and a creamy, peppery wild mushroom sauce with the last shavings of Parmesan cheese.

One is never entirely alone in Africa, and the following day, a Park ranger stopped in our tracks. Before circumnavigating our vehicle, he advised us to backtrack and use the other route around the forest, where the clearance would be better. He confirmed that we were only a few kilometres from the entrance gate.

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Homes in the park are built using traditional methods. They are constructed with a double frame of tied branches; the gaps are filled with clay and sometimes plastered. Roofs are thatched using local grasses and can be easily replaced annually.

The area around the home is swept to keep it clear, making snakes, small critters, and larger animals more visible.

Cattle, goats and other domestic animals are kept in a kraal of branches, reeds and grass.

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As the sun crept over the horizon, we set off and soon found ourselves on the right track. The friendly staff told us that the bush telegraph had already announced our imminent arrival at the gate.

We would stay for three nights at Katoyana, which is centrally located in the park and allows access to the woodlands, pans, and plains in the eastern area of the park. There are hyena dens nearby, lions and cheetah are often sighted, and birdlife is prolific. The helpful assistant at the gate told us that its shady position and many pans nearby make it a favourite.

The sun had just come up, allowing us a full day of game viewing. The sandy conditions forced us to take a slow meander to our campsite, where we enjoyed the magnificent landscape where the horizon lay at the ends of the earth.

This was where the Wildebeest roamed, and we were soon rewarded with pockets of animals grazing at their own leisurely pace. Dotted in between were the proverbial Zebras, who take advantage of the large herds’ protection from predators.

Where there’s water, there will be birds, and in the early hours, they swoop down to scoop up water or catch fish and algae if they’re aquatic birds like spoonbills.

Our campsite was pure bliss. Our Honey Badger was nestled in a magnificent forest of tall indigenous trees, and we were the only campers for the day.

I was covered in dust, and I soon had my sponge bag, towel, and a fresh set of clothing ready for an open-air shower under a canopy of trees.

During the heat of the day, we relaxed with our books, often drifting into a light sleep while listening to the constant chorus of cicadas that produced a distinctive, high-pitched buzzing or clicking sound. Male cicadas create this noise by vibrating a pair of membranes called tymbals, made of a rubbery substance called resilin, which they rapidly buckle and unbuckle to produce the buzzing sound. Like waves hitting the beach, this rhythmic sound is used primarily to attract a mate.

Females also make sounds to attract males, but they use their wings to make a clicking sound rather than a high-pitched song like the males. Male Cicadas buzzing into the night are desperately looking for a mate. The abdomen of male cicadas is almost entirely hollow. When sound waves from the tymbals enter this hollow area, they bounce around. This can change the sound, make the sound louder, or both.

Our attitude towards them changed once we’d researched the sounds cicadas make. With this new knowledge, we were empathetic rather than annoyed!

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With all the dust and smoke from community fires drifting into the air, we knew we should get out from under our canopy of trees and venture into the veld to enjoy our sundowners under a scarlet sky.

Zebras drifted over the plains as they headed to watering holes, and a flock of Hadedas made their way to their communal perches in trees. Then, a trio of cattle egrets glided into view from the north as the sun turned red and dipped quickly behind the tall flaxen grasses, turning the landscape tangerine.

And just like that, the evening star appeared, and it was time to return to our campsite.  

We do not braai at night anymore. We have found that during these dry seasons, drones of flying insects inundate us when the sun sets and our lights are switched on. No amount of swatting, spraying, or darkness will drive them away, and our only recourse is to have our main meal at midday or late afternoon before our game drives. Instead, we'd recapture our day, listen to the owls and nightjars when they started hooting and occasionally, we'd hear a hyena or antelope send warning sounds to the herd.

These sounds, from snorts and barks to bleats and honks, serve various functions, ensuring survival in the face of predators and harsh conditions. Impala use snorts and bleats to alert each other of danger, like the presence of a lion, keeping the group vigilant and coordinated. During mating season, males use loud calls and stomping sounds to attract females and establish dominance, ensuring their genes are passed on. Mothers and their young communicate through specific bleats and calls, ensuring they stay safe and learn vital survival skills.

Impalas may also snort or bark loudly to startle predators or distract them from vulnerable members of the herd, increasing their chances of survival.

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Although we enjoy a late lie-in, we're up before the sparrows when we’re in the bush. The sky was turning pink when we pulled out of our campsite with our steaming mugs of coffee and rusks to enjoy our game drive in the coolness of dawn.

The dry season we were entering made game viewing much more manageable. Like the animals, we gravitated towards the watering holes for the best sightings. Here, a capable 4x4 vehicle is a necessity.

My photographs express what we witnessed, and I’ll leave it to you to peruse them, enjoy the scenes, and who knows, I might inspire you to set off on an adventure into the wilds, where you’ll enjoy the plains, forests, watering holes, birds, bees, and trees.

The highlight of this trip was a day spent with a pack of Wild dogs. Initially, we thought we’d spotted a lone hyena trotting on the verge of the track. It was just after sunrise, and he would’ve been on his way back to his den after a night of hunting.  Upon closer inspection, we realised a hyena was watching a pack of wild dogs.

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These fascinating animals need an introduction.

The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), painted dog and Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the most significant wild canine in Africa and the only living member of the genus Lycaon, which is distinguished from Canis (such as wolves, dogs, coyotes and golden jackals.) by teeth which are highly specialised for a diet that is more than 70% meat, either via active predation or by scavenging. The remaining non-meat diet may contain non-animal foods such as fungi, fruits or other plant material.

 The Painted Dog also lacks dewclaws. (is a digit that grows higher on the leg than the rest of the foot. Horses and giraffes also lack dewclaws.)

The African wild dog has been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1990, as the largest subpopulation probably consists of fewer than 250 individuals.

The African wild dog is a specialised hunter of terrestrial ungulates, animals with hooves. It hunts mostly at dawn and dusk but also displays activity during daylight hours with a sleeping period or other inactivity at night. Dogs capture their prey by using stamina and cooperative hunting to exhaust their prey. Its natural competitors are lions and spotted hyenas: the former will kill the dogs where possible, whilst the latter frequently only scavenge food.

Like other canids, the African wild dog regurgitates food for its young but extends this action to adults as a central part of the pack's social unit. The young have the privilege of feeding first on carcasses.

The African wild dog has been revered in several hunter-gatherer societies, particularly the San people and in Prehistoric Egypt.

The African wild dog was scientifically described in 1820 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck, a Dutch Zoologist, after examining a specimen from the coast of Mozambique, which he named Hyaena picta. 

The African wild dog possesses the most specialised adaptations among canids regarding coat colour and diet. It also pursues its prey through its ability to run fast, keep a constant speed, and have high endurance. It has a graceful skeleton, and losing the first digit on its forefeet increases its stride and speed. This adaptation allows it to pursue prey across open terrain for long distances.

The African wild dog displays one of mammals' most varied coat colours. Individuals differ in patterns and colours, indicating a diversity of the underlying genes. The purpose of these coat patterns may be to adapt for communication, concealment, or temperature regulation.

It inhabits primarily savannas and arid landscapes, generally avoiding forested areas. This preference is likely linked to its hunting habits, which require open areas that do not obstruct vision or impede pursuit.  A forest-dwelling population has been identified in the Harenna Forest in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia. At least one record exists of a pack being sighted on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro!

The African wild dog has stronger social bonds than lions and spotted hyenas; thus, solitary living and hunting are scarce in the species. It lives in permanent packs of two to 27 adults and yearling pups. 

Males and females have separate dominance hierarchies, with the latter usually being led by the oldest female. The oldest male may lead males, but younger dogs can supplant these; thus, some packs may contain elderly male former pack leaders. The dominant pair will monopolise breeding. The species differs from most other social carnivorans in that males remain in the natal pack. At the same time, females disperse (while gorilla trekking, we were told this is a pattern also found in primates such as gorillas, chimpanzees, and red colobuses). Males tend to outnumber females.  Evicted females join other packs and, in turn, evict some resident females, thus preventing inbreeding and allowing the evicted individuals to find new packs.

The species has an extensive vocal repertoire, including twittering, whining, yelping, squealing, whispering, barking, growling, gurgling, rumbling, moaning, and howling. The attached short video includes some of these calls.

The African wild dog produces more pups than any other canid, with litters of six to 16 pups, with an average of 10, thus indicating that a single female can produce enough young to form a new pack every year.

Because the amount of food necessary to feed more than two litters would be impossible to acquire by the average pack, breeding is strictly limited to the dominant female, which may kill the pups in other litters.

After giving birth, the mother stays close to the pups in the den while the rest of the pack hunts. She typically drives away pack members approaching the pups until they are old enough to eat solid food at three to four weeks of age. The pups leave the den around the age of three weeks and are suckled outside. The pups are weaned at five weeks when the other pack members feed them regurgitated meat. By seven weeks, the pups begin to take on an adult appearance, with noticeable lengthening in the legs, muzzle, and ears. Once the pups reach the age of eight to 10 weeks, the pack abandons the den, and the young follow the adults during hunts. The youngest pack members are permitted to eat first on kills, a privilege which ends once they become yearlings. African wild dogs have an average lifespan of about 10 to 11 years in the wild.

When separated from the pack, an African wild dog becomes depressed and can die as a result of broken heart syndrome.

The African wild dog is a specialised pack hunter of common medium-sized antelopes. It is a primarily diurnal (early morning and late afternoon) predator and hunts by approaching prey silently, then chasing it in pursuit, clocking at up to 66 km/h. A hunt can last for 10 to 60 minutes. The average chase covers some 2 km, during which the prey animal, if large, is repeatedly bitten on the legs, belly, and rump until it stops running, while smaller prey is pulled down and torn apart.

African wild dogs adjust their hunting strategy to the particular prey species. They will rush at wildebeest to panic the herd and isolate a vulnerable individual. Still, they will pursue territorial antelope species (which defend themselves by running in wide circles) by cutting across the arc to foil their escape. Medium-sized prey is often killed in 2–5 minutes, whereas larger prey, such as wildebeest, may take half an hour to pull down. Male wild dogs usually grab dangerous prey, such as warthogs, by the nose. A study showed that by preference, where available, five prey species were the most regularly selected, namely the kudu, Thomson’s gazelle, impala, Cape Bushbuck and Blue Wildebeest.

We could witness how African wild dogs regurgitate food for other adults and young family members. Pups old enough to eat solid food are given priority at kills, eating even before the dominant pair; subordinate adult dogs help feed and protect the pups.

Lions dominate African wild dogs and are a significant source of mortality for both adults and pups. Population densities are usually low in areas where lions are more abundant.

Lions usually kill and leave dogs uneaten, indicating their competitive rather than predatory dominance. However, a few cases have been reported of old and wounded lions falling prey to African wild dogs.

During the day, we witnessed how the wild dogs had to guard their kill from larger predators.[ Spotted hyenas are kleptoparasites and follow this pack of wild dogs to scavenge their kill. They typically inspect areas where wild dogs have rested and eat any food they find. This solitary hyena approaches cautiously and attempts to take off with a piece of meat unnoticed but is mobbed in the effort.

African wild dogs are apex predators, only fatally losing contests to larger social carnivores. When briefly unprotected, wild dog pups may occasionally be vulnerable to large eagles,  such as the martial eagle when they venture out of their dens.

A bit of helpful trivia: Did you notice that the fur of African wild dogs consists entirely of stiff bristle hairs with no underfur? As they age, they gradually lose their fur, and older specimens become almost naked. Once one sees that, one can determine which dogs are juveniles, who the adults are and who is a senior citizen.

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Africans are notorious storytellers, and this story has done the rounds for centuries. It is still told around the fire to new generations of children, especially after a sighting of the dogs. The Ndebele have a story explaining why the African wild dog hunts in packs:

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At the watering hole, we were rewarded with a pack of wild dogs on their wildebeest hunt. We spent the entire day observing them, watching their antics, and getting a firsthand experience of their social behaviour and feeding habits.

As the sun rose and the day became warmer, the smell of the kill went out on the airwaves, and we were witness to the gathering of the avian scavengers, first the lappet-faced Vultures, African White-backed Vulture,white-headed vultures and yellow-billed kites. They were all in attendance; then came the saddle-billed storks, the ugly, ungainly Marabou storks, and the peaceful spoonbills who dipped their spoons into the water and took no notice of the shenanigans on the shoreline.

While they all did their thing, Butch and I enjoyed our coffees; at teatime, we had a breakfast fruit smoothy, and at 13h30, for lunch,  a sandwich, and all the time, all our senses were submerged in nature, never feeling threatened or being a threat as the animals ignored us and never glanced at us.

It was also very interesting to observe the vulture's behavior, as they picked fights with other vultures, crept nearer to the carcass only to be hounded by the dogs. 

When the dogs had enough, and the sun was drawing water, we packed up. They left the scraps for the hyenas and a few late-comer vultures. The pack took off through the tall grasses with full bellies, picking up speed as they neared the horizon and soon disappeared. They were magnificent. We returned to our campsite with flat camera batteries and full memory cards.

The following day, we returned to the spot to see what had remained of the carcass. There was no sign of the previous day’s hunt. They didn’t leave a clue. Butch alighted the truck to walk the spot but couldn’t find a single clue. The sweepers had done an excellent job during the night.

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Like a lone hyena howling into the night, we shared our experience over sundowners and another serene sunset. The most remarkable part was that we were the only visitors in that part of the park. I’d only seen one other vehicle at the campsite the previous day, but they were passing through.  We can boldly say we had Liuwa plains to ourselves, surrounded by the peaceful embrace of nature.

As we prepared to continue our journey the following day, we were treated to a spectacular grand finale that we'll never forget. A pride of lions, lionesses, and cubs were in the midst of their morning feast, a scene that left us in awe.

Our hearts raced with anticipation as we witnessed the large herds of Wildebeest and Zebra preparing for their epic migration to Angola. The sight of them and the clans' gathering as the herds grew confirmed what we’d seen in the Serengeti. It was a mission we had set out to accomplish, and we did.

We highly recommend visiting Liuwa Plains National Park, and we hope you do. However, do so in the dry winter months and not during the rainy season, when flooding is expected. The roads will be impassable, and a 4x4 vehicle is mandatory.

We were back on the road to Kalabo again to resume our journey on the main drag for which we'd initially paid our road tax. Our next destination was Namibia.

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References are from Wikipedia and the African Parks website.