South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia is a world-renowned wildlife haven, and famous for walking safaris. It supports large populations of Thorneycroft’s Giraffe, and herds of elephant and buffalo often several hundred strong, while the Luangwa River supports abundant crocodiles and hippopotamus. Founded as a game reserve in 1938, it became a national park in 1972 and now covers 9 050 square km.

Hippos thrive here due to the patches of flooded grassland habitats (floodplains) that are found close to the river, on which they graze at night. It is possible to see pods of up to 500 hippos in the dry season as the river shrinks and they are confined to areas of deep pools. On average there are probably 35 – 42 hippos per km! They are integral to the ecosystem here, their dung released into the river fertilises its waters and sustains the fish population which in turn sustains the crocodiles. The park is also reputed to have the highest concentration of leopard in Africa. It is estimated that there is one leopard for every km of river in the Luangwa Valley, so your chances of seeing this elusive nocturnal cat are very high.