Everwild has confirmed that its semi-permanent bushcamp in Kasanka National Park will operate during the 2026 bat migration season, with guests being hosted from 25 October to 1 December 2026.

The operation has received the go-ahead from both the Kasanka Trust and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), allowing Everwild to proceed with preparations for the season.

The confirmation follows changes to accommodation operations in the park, including the closure of Wasa Lodge for the 2026 season. Everwild’s mobile operation will operate independently and be fully self-sufficient during the period. An alternative arrangement has also been put in place for guests who had originally planned to stay at Wasa Lodge.

As part of the preparations, Everwild will undertake repairs to the bat hides and will maintain the access road and airstrip to ensure that they are usable for the season.

 

Kasanka’s extraordinary bat migration

The annual arrival of straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) is one of Kasanka National Park’s defining natural events. Between October and December, up to an estimated 10 million bats gather in a small area of evergreen Mushitu swamp forest within the park. Kasanka Trust describes the seasonal colony as possibly the largest concentration of mammals known in the world.

The bats arrive after travelling considerable distances across Central Africa. Research has shown that individual bats can travel thousands of kilometres during their wider migration, while those roosting at Kasanka may travel tens of kilometres each night in search of food.

The reason why such a large number of bats converge on this particular location remains an area of scientific interest. One important factor is the seasonal abundance of fruit in the surrounding woodland, which provides a significant food source during the bats’ stay. 

 

A spectacle at sunset

The most dramatic part of the event takes place each evening as the bats leave their forest roost to forage.

As dusk approaches, the bats begin emerging from the trees in increasingly large numbers. Within a relatively short period, the sky above the forest can become filled with thousands — and eventually millions — of flying animals heading out into the surrounding woodland.

The spectacle is particularly unusual because of its scale. Unlike many of Africa’s better-known wildlife migrations, it does not involve large terrestrial animals moving visibly across open plains. Instead, visitors experience a huge aerial movement taking place above the forest, accompanied by the sound of millions of wings and calls.

The bats’ nightly movements also extend well beyond the boundaries of Kasanka National Park. Research and conservation work by the Kasanka Trust has shown that the animals can travel considerable distances into the surrounding landscape to feed, highlighting the importance of protecting habitat outside the park as well as within it.

 

More than a bat migration

The bat migration is the principal attraction during this period, but November is also an interesting time to visit Kasanka more generally.

The park contains a diverse combination of miombo woodland, evergreen forest, wetlands, dambos and river systems, supporting a wide range of wildlife and birdlife. Kasanka is particularly notable for its population of sitatunga, a semi-aquatic antelope associated with the park’s wetlands.

The concentration of bats also attracts predators, including birds of prey, adding another dimension to the wildlife activity around the roost.

For wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and naturalists, the appeal of visiting during the migration therefore extends beyond witnessing the bats themselves. It is an opportunity to see a relatively little-visited Zambian national park at a particularly active time of year, while also observing an event that remains the subject of ongoing scientific research.

Travelling to Kasanka

Access to Kasanka will be available by several routes.

SkyTrails charter flights provide an air access option from Lusaka (LUN) to Mulembo, with onward arrangements into the park.

Guests may also self-drive to Kasanka, while Everwild can arrange private road transfers from Lusaka to Kasanka at a cost of US$750 per vehicle.

 

2026 season

With approvals in place and site preparations underway, Everwild is proceeding with the planned operation of the Semi-Permanent Bushcamp for the full 2026 bat migration period.

With only six guest tents available, accommodation during the migration is limited. The 2026 season is expected to attract continued interest from visitors seeking to witness one of Africa’s most unusual and significant wildlife spectacles.

The annual gathering also has wider conservation significance. Straw-coloured fruit bats play an important ecological role through seed dispersal and pollination, and the scale of their movements means that their survival depends on a much larger landscape than the forest in which they roost.

For those travelling to Kasanka during the 2026 season, the bat migration offers the opportunity to witness a phenomenon that is both spectacular to observe and still the subject of important scientific questions.