Lochinvar National Park

Overview

Introduction

A cattle ranch until 1974, this park was kept free of carnivores and other large mammals. This means that you're not likely to see lions, leopards or hyenas, but don't let that put you off—Lochinvar is still a good park, with the added benefit that you can walk wherever you wish with little fear of being attacked by animals. Because of its topography (grassland, woodland, floodplain), the park attracts an unusually large number of bird species. No matter what time of year, there's always great variety to be seen: pelicans, flamingos (attracted by the hot springs in the park), rare wattled cranes, marabou storks, vultures, the African fish eagle and a multitude of waterfowl. Lochinvar is also famous for its large herds of zebra, wildebeest and lechwe, all of which happily coexist with cattle. (In fact, the local Ila people still herd their cattle in the park.) The main lodge is an old farmhouse in the Cape Dutch style: It's a pleasure just to sit on the spacious front porch, look up at the big sky and out across the beautiful flat plains. Lochinvar is best seen at the beginning of the rainy season (October-November), when it attracts the greatest number of birds. 70 mi/110 km southwest of Lusaka.

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