Mweru Wantipa National Park

Size and Landscape

This Park is located in Kaputa District and covers an area of 3134km2. The park was declared a National Park in 1972. Its extent includes Lake Mweru Wantipa.

The swamp and lake edges are dominated by dense Papyrus with some Phragmites. Combretum thicket occupies the area close to the lake whilst the remainder of the park is mostly covered with miombo woodland. Large grassy, acid dambos are a feature of the lower lying areas of the miombo.

The landscape is characterized by the lakeshore, escarpment, hills, rivers, swamps and the floodplains. The Park has a variety of habitat types for wildlife, which include swamps, grasslands, miombo woodland and some thickets.

Habitat and animal population

Mweru wa Ntipa has good variety of large mammals that includes bushbuck, puku, elephant, buffalo, sable, roan hartebeest, eland, waterbuck, reedbuck, common yellow backed and blue duikers, grysbok and warthog as well as the sitatunga and the kilipspringer. Lion, leopard and hyena occur throughout the park.

The park is also rich in water birds. Several species of ducks, ibises and herons occur, plus saddlebill, openbill and white pelicans are seen. The shoebill stock as well as the lesser and greater flamingos are sighted.

 

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