All 4 in 3 days here: ~90%
Lower Zambezi National Park
🇿🇲 Zambia
Southern Africa, Zambia 1190 spp. recorded
Lower Zambezi National Park is a protected tropical savanna stretching along the northern bank of the great river in southern Zambia. This wilderness stands apart through its sweeping floodplains, dense riverine forests, and dramatic escarpment backdrop, creating a sanctuary defined by permanent water and lush vegetation.
-15.452° S 29.941° E
🦜 Nature
411 Species sighted
17,859 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Aug Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
+ 741 more species with insufficient data
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Lower Zambezi National Park
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
47Jan
9.5Feb
1.5Mar
57Apr
55May
62Jun
67Jul
73Aug
57Sep
57Oct
69Nov
57Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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15.650° S, 29.494° E
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Nyamepi Camp
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Chiawa Camp
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
African Bush Elephant~90%+10%
Impala~70%≈
Nile Crocodile~70%-10%
Cape Turtle Dove~60%-10%
Fork-tailed Drongo~60%-10%
Meves's Glossy-starling~60%-10%
Helmeted Guineafowl~50%-10%
African Fish-Eagle~50%-20%
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove~50%-10%
Southern Red-billed Hornbill~50%-10%
Lilac-breasted Roller~50%-10%
Painted Hunting Dog~50%≈
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Royal Zambezi Lodge
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
Paid
Tourism
Low
Typical stay
2–3
daysTrails
Moderate
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
4.2
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 864
🐒 Mammals 178
🦎 Reptiles 105
🐸 Amphibians 43
1190 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
37 Threatened 5 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
5.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
70% 📊
Coverage (245 species at ≥5% of 1190 in the inventory)
21% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 3 mammal, 1 reptile)
65% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
188 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
36 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
63 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.4
Climate Pleasant High
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism Low High
Trails Moderate Medium
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
Then there’s the wildlife—on this trip alone we had countless leopard encounters, unforgettable lion sightings, more elephants than I could possibly count, and even a glimpse of a smaller pack of African wild dogs.
While waiting had some beautiful sightings of a herd of elephants crossing the open plain, making their way to the forest nearby. `We watched big herds of buffalo grazing in the distance and watched all the different species of birds flying nearby.
Because we were on the water, most animals spotted were crocodiles, hippos that were trying to cool off, elephants, and bird life.
Later in the afternoon we watched a group of elephants cross a channel and then spent some time with the same pride of lions with eight cubs feeding on a waterbuck, which they had killed the night before.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Lower Zambezi National Park?
1,190 species
Lower Zambezi National Park has 1,190 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are African Bush Elephant (about 80%), Nile Crocodile (about 70%), Egyptian Goose (about 70%), White-fronted Bee-eater (about 70%) and Waterbuck (about 70%). Among amphibians, the most-seen is Grey Foam-nest Treefrog (about 40%).
When is the best time to visit Lower Zambezi National Park for wildlife?
June and July
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 50% in October. Those are among Lower Zambezi National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 290 mm in January.
Can you see an African Bush Elephant in Lower Zambezi National Park?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report an African Bush Elephant sighting in Lower Zambezi National Park on a given day, based on 72 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February and July (about 90%).
Can you see a Lion in Lower Zambezi National Park?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Lion sighting in Lower Zambezi National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July (about 70%).
Can you see a Painted Hunting Dog in Lower Zambezi National Park?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Hunting Dog sighting in Lower Zambezi National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is October (about 70%).
Can you see a Common Hippopotamus in Lower Zambezi National Park?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hippopotamus sighting in Lower Zambezi National Park on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July (about 80%).
Is Lower Zambezi National Park good for wildlife watching?
4.8 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Lower Zambezi National Park rates 4.8/5: 29th of 316 parks worldwide and 20th in Africa. 76 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
