 BANGWEULU
FLOODPLAINS
The Great Bangweulu Basin, incorporating the
vast Bangweulu Lake and a massive wetland area
lies in a shallow depression in the centre of an
ancient cratonic platform, the North Zambian
Plateau. The basin is fed by 17 principle rivers
from a catchment area of 190 000 kms2
, but is drained by only one river, the Luapula.
The area floods
in the wet season between November in March,
receiving an average annual rainfall of about
1200mm, but 90% of the water entering the system
is lost to evapo-transpiration. The resultant
effect is that the water level in the centre of
the basin varies between one and two meters,
causing the floodline to advance and retreat by
as much as 45 kilometres at the periphery. It is
this seasonal rising and falling of the flood
waters that dictates life in the swamps.
Man has inhabited
the periphery of the swamp area for hundreds of
years as it has always provided a rich source of
food. But the area is so incredibly vast, it is
largely left to the the multitudes of wildlife
that dwell of the rich resources. The current
inhabitants of the Northern Province are
descendants of a series of emigrations from the
Congo Basin.
The earliest
settlers were known as the Ba-twa or Wild Men by
the more recent arrivals. Formerly they occupied
the islands around the confluence of the
Chambesi with the Luapula Rivers and lived by
fishing and hunting from temporary shelters.
Today they have become assimilated into the
surrounding tribes building permanent villages,
cultivating and speaking the same Bemba
language.
Vegetation
 The higher ground surrounding the Bangweulu is
dominated by miombo woodland intersected by numerous dambos. The floodplain
itself is dominated by grasslands varying in composition according to the
depth and duration of annual flooding. For the most part, the swamps consist
of areas of open water surrounded by permanent dense stands of Papyrus grass
and Phragmites reeds which are only accessible by shallow canoe via an
intricate network of narrow channels.
In contrast, the temporarily inundated
floodplains, grasslands and woodlands provide for a greater range of
vegetation types and as a consequence a greater diversity in the bird an
animal species who inhabit these areas at various times of the year.
Numerous termite mounds are scattered over a
wide area. They are such a feature of this environment that Livingstone once
described the Bangweulu floodplain as "a world of water and anthills." These
raised mounds act as small islands safe for any flooding and allow the
survival of various tree seedlings. Over time these trees have become well
established with the result that a woodland has developed and contains good
examples of water berry, Syzygium cordatum, sausage tree Kigelia africana
and several figs, to name but a few.
Getting
there
 The drive to the southern
edge of the swamps where Shoebill and Nsobe camps are, takes about 12 hours
from Lusaka, the last stretch of 140kms taking six hours. Take the Great
North Road from Lusaka, turn right just after Kapiri Mposhi towards Mpika.
Take the Samfya/Mansa turning left after Serenje. Turn right 10kms after the
Kasanka turnoff, towards the Livingstone memorial and remain on this track,
keeping right at the memorial fork, for 70 km, towards the village of
Chiundaponde.
Another route is to go directly to the
Lavushi Manda turnoff on the Great North road, just below Mpika, which leads
straight to Chiundaponde. From the village, make your way to Chikuni Island
and then straight ahead to Shoebill Camp or left to Nsobe Camp. You can ask
for directions at the WWF camp at Chikuni, as it is very easy to get lost
after you leave the village.
If driving, make sure you have adequate fuel
and spares as this is an extremely remote part of the country and help is a
long way off. It is advisable to let someone know when you are leaving and
when you expect to arrive or return. There are radio facilities at Shoebill
camp and a National Parks & Wildlife Services office at Chiundaponde.
Access is also by small
charter
aircraft to an airstrip just on the edge of the swamps.
When to go
During the rains (November to March) the
insects are more prolific but the birdlife is phenomenal. All trips in and
around the swamps are by boat. The Chimbwe floodplain will be inundated and
to attempt to drive to Shoebill Island Camp will be impossible. There is a
raised causeway leading from the last village before the floodplain, Muwele,
to Chikuni. A small banana boat is used to reach the Camp from Chikuni, a
trip of 4 kms through tall grasses and reeds.
Depending on the extent of the rain during
the summer, the floodplain dries out sufficiently to allow the passage of
4x4 vehicles by mid to late April. It is then possible to observe the black
lechwe at close quarters and also to reach another raised causeway that
leads to Shoebill camp.
By June/July, much of the floodplain is dry
and the lechwe have moved closer towards the permanent swamp and Shoebill
Camp. It also becomes possible to take walks from the camp and experience
the strange sensation of walking on the floating mats of vegetation which
grow on the surface of the once open water. While the number of birds around
at this time of year is still extensive, the number of species drops with
the departure of the summer migrants.
August is very much the middle of winter in
the swamps, and although the daytime temperatures are pleasant it can be
extremely cold at nights with temperature dropping to freezing.
Where to stay
One of the few places to experience the
magnificence of this vast wetland is at a small rustic camp on the southern
edge of the swamps.
Shoebill Island
Camp
run by the Kasanka Trust
is at the end of a long causeway surrounded by water and reed
islands in the wet season.
The comfortable walk-in safari tents are
available for both self catering drive-in guests or fly-in guests who are
fully catered for. The best opportunity to see the rare Shoebill Stork is in
the wet season from December to April. One can also fish or take a boat trip
through the swamps.
There is a small self catering camp just on
the outskirts of the swamps, nearer the village of Chiundaponde, called
Nsobe Camp, meaning Sitatunga (the swamp dwelling antelope found
here.) This is a unique initiative in that it is entirely built, funded and
run by the local villagers, with the help of the WWF project in the area.
The grass and thatch chalets are quaint, tidy, clean and comfortable. The
ablutions are outside but quite adequate. There is no way of booking this
camp but if it’s full, it is possible to camp there as well.
Sightseeing
 One of the best reasons for coming to this unusual watery
wilderness is the remarkable experience of this infinite flat expanse. The views to the
horizon seem endless and one imagines one can almost see the curve of the planet. The
birdlife is just magnificent and the sight of thousands upon thousands of the endemic
black lechwe, unforgettable.
Vast open floodplains, several kilometres wide exist at the
periphery of the permanent swamps. These may lie under a blanket of water from a few
centimetres to a meter deep from 3 - 6 months a year depending on the extent of the summer
rainfall. These shallow waters provide ideal feeding grounds for huge numbers of
indigenous birds as well as numerous summer migrants, many who will have travelled the
length of Africa to winter-over in the swamps. White and pink backed pelicans,
wattled cranes, white storks saddle billed storks, spoonbills and ibises in
flocks numbering in the hundreds as well as many species of the smaller waders, are a
common but dramatic sight when the waters are rich in small fish, shrimps and snails.
 One
of the most rare and elusive birds in Africa, the shoebill stork, Balaeniceps
rex, which is in fact closer to the pelican family than a stork, favours the
Bangweulu swamps as one of their last remaining habitats and during the early months
following the rains, this strange looking bird can regularly be seen on the fringe between
the permanent swamps and the floodplains.
Other fairly rare birds that are reasonably abundant in the
area include the swamp fly-catcher, marsh tchagra, marsh whydah and the white
cheeked bee-eater. The ground hornbill and Denham’s bustard are also a
common sight as they patrol the grassland for large insects.
The floodplains simply teem with birds including pratincoles,
ruff by the thousand, crowned cranes, Montagu’s and Pallid Harriers. The
shallow waterlines abound with ducks, geese, jacanas, spoonbills, pelicans and
occasionally flamingos. Other notables are the slatey egret,
black egret and goliath heron. Watch out too for the swamp fly catcher, white
cheeked bee-eater and the rosy breasted longclaw.
With wetlands, grasslands and woodlands in such close
proximity, a great diversity of birds can be seen in a relatively small area and to date
nearly 400 species have been recorded here.
Unique to the floodplains of the Bangweulu swamps is the
water loving black lechwe (Kobus lechwe smithemani), which can
gather in herds of up to 10 000, following the floodwaters as they recede during the year.
The shy but attractive sitatunga, Tragelaphus
spekei, is associated more with denser vegetation and has hooves especially adapted
for walking on the thick mats of floating vegetation. These antelope are good swimmers and
can spend the greater part of the day immersed in water and when disturbed, can submerge
with just their nose visible.
Course grasslands are found bordering the floodplains where
the land is imperceptibly higher and not subject to such extensive flooding. The Oribi,
a shy and petite antelope, enjoys the long grasses and can frequently be seen in the late
afternoon when small family groups stand up to feed.
The areas surrounding the termite mounds, characteristic of
the swamps is an environment much favoured by the tsessebe, the
world’s fastest antelope, which can be seen in herds of over a hundred strong.
Also seen in the woodlands are common duiker
and reedbuck. Less frequently roan, wild dog and vervet monkeys, as well
as smaller more nocturnal mammals such as mongooses and bushpigs.
Until the early 1980’s there used to be lions in the
swamps that preyed on the lechwe and sitatunga. But with the increase in human activity
around the edge of the swamps, they have unfortunately been eradicated.
Although rarely seen,
leopards
do exist while
hyenas and jackals
are often heard at night and occasionally encountered on night drives.
Later in the year, when the flood waters have receded,
buffalo and to a lesser extent
elephant
move into the area to feed on the plentiful grasses. Numerous crocodile and
hippo are found in the permanent
water channels or lurking in the papyrus reeds.
The swamps are a protected wetland having international
importance under the ramsar Convention. The area is ecologically very sensitive and great
care should be taken when driving around the floodplains in the dry season. Stick to
existing tracks and keep driving to a minimum.
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