liquid The Bangweulu have three claims to fame. First, it is in this watery wilderness, in Chief Chitambo’s village, that legendary Scottish ex- plorer David Livingstone died in 1873. Second, it is home to the , a gigantic, bizarre-looking bird that woos twitchers from around the globe. Third, the are inhabited by an astonishing 75 000 endemic black . So it comes as a surprise that virtually no-one outside has even heard of the place. Stephen Cunliffe set off to find out why.

TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEPHEN CUNLIFFE

s we splashed through knee-deep For the wildlife connoisseur, the wide, game- water, sinking to our ankles in the rich Chimbwe Plains, located in the Chikuni dark mud, the nearest tree shim- sector of Bangweulu, are hard to beat. This is mered on the sun-baked horizon the proverbial land of plenty: an overwhelm- Amore than a kilometre away. Simon Ng’ona, ingly peaceful place, where the silence is bro- my Zambia Wildlife Authority-assigned escort ken only by the splashing of hooves and the scout, and I marvelled at the sea of antelopes low hum of the lechwe herds. In times gone whose beady eyes watched casually as we by, Bangweulu supported upwards of 250 000 laboured across the waterlogged floodplain. of these gregarious antelope and, although They carpeted the landscape in every direction, poaching in subsequent decades reduced the forming part of one of Africa’s most impressive number, the sheer scale of the gathering – – but least known – wildlife gatherings. which is on the increase once more – still Here in northern Zambia, a labyrinth of defies belief. 17 rivers (including the Chambeshi, the source Seventy-five thousand lechwe are not the of the mighty Congo River) feeds an extensive only reason to explore the pristine wetlands of system of lakes, swamps, seasonally flooded northern Zambia’s version of the Okavango and adjoining woodlands that col- Delta. The swamps, grasslands and termitaria lectively form the 10 000-square-kilometre woodlands of the wilderness are also home to Bangweulu Wetlands. From April onwards, as small herds of and buffalo, along the annual floodwater recedes, nutritious with decent numbers of tsessebe, , grasses sprout in its wake. This rich grazing , southern (or common) reedbuck and proves irresistible to the endemic black lechwe, zebra. During forays across the plains and the and the Chimbwe floodplain soon becomes shallow swamplands, we were fortunate to the epicentre of an astoundingly large gather- enjoy sightings of all these herbivores. At ing of these attractive antelope as they mass in night, spotted hyaenas appeared regularly, their tens of thousands. monitoring our campsites. 

38 AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC • november 2011 www.africageographic.com 39 ZIMBABWE GUIDES BANGWEULU wetlands BLACK LECHWE The lechwe Kobus leche is a semi-aquatic antelope found in Botswana, Zambia, south- eastern DRC, north-eastern Namibia and eastern Angola, being especially plentiful in the , Kafue Flats and Bangweulu Swamps. The black lechwe K. l. smithemani, endemic to the wetlands of northern Zambia, is one of four recog- nised subspecies. The lechwe is a diurnal antelope, golden- brown in colour with a white belly. The males are darker, but the animal’s general hue varies between subspecies. As the name suggests, the coats of male black lechwe become very dark with age. The horns of the males are long, thin spirals that are ridged and vaguely lyre-shaped. On dry land, the lechwe appears slow and clumsy, but in the water and mud it is easily able to outrun predators, thanks to its powerful hind legs that propel it in long leaps, and the elongated, splayed hooves that prevent it from sinking into the ground. The shaggy, greasy coat acts as a sort of waterproofing, and the legs are also covered in a water-repelling substance. The lechwe inhabits floodplains bordering swamps, and it can often be seen swim- ming or grazing shoulder-deep in water. The antelope feeds mainly on aquatic plants Proposed Chikuni For many visitors, however, pirogue – a flat-bottomed canoe – We watched the shoebill for two hours, I joined the board’s interim project Community Park and nutritious grasses, and will follow the ’s mammals, even the accompanied by guide Patson Mukosa. edging slowly forward until we were director, Craig Reid, who had kindly Bangweulu Game Bangweulu Management Area impressive concentrations of lechwe, ‘I know these swamps like the back of seasonal deluge, taking refuge in wooded barely 20 metres from it. When it finally agreed to drive me around the Chikuni play second fiddle to its astonishing my hand and I want to help you find areas if flooding is extreme. retired to a nearby tree to digest its food, sector. As we bumped the trackless plains, Chambeshi N birdlife. I watched in awe as great a shoebill,’ Mukosa said. Having spent Lechwe generally gather in large, loose we tore ourselves away, but not before Reid shared his vision for Bangweulu’s ZAMBIA U white pelicans sailed past long lines of two decades helping visitors to locate groups that have no strict social system. Mukosa announced triumphantly, ‘I told future: ‘ works tirelessly to African spoonbills corralling fish in birds at the aptly named Shoebill Herds, which can include many thousands you I know these swamps. I wanted to solve the challenges and strengthen the Bangweulu of individuals, are usually composed of a Wetlands the shallows. Flocks of wattled cranes Camp, his credentials were impec- find you a shoebill and I did!’ partnership so that the wetlands can (10 per cent of Africa’s total popula- cable. Who was I to doubt him? I nod- single sex, although they mix during the realise their full tourism potential and breeding season. Mating takes place during Shoebill Island tion reside here) stalked the plains, ded, flashed him a thankful smile and angweulu is one • Chikuni along with their retinue of egrets. hopped into the small boat. the November to February rainy season, of Africa’s most This is the proverbial land of plenty: when males compete for access to females an overwhelmingly peaceful place, Nakapalayo • Deeper into the swamps, memorable We headed deep into the , important • Nkondo HQ by forming a ‘lekking’ system. Rams fight for B sightings of African purple swamphen, where Mukosa informed me that the systems and was declared where the silence is broken only by lesser jacana and blue-breasted bee- feeding sites of the were control of small areas, known as ‘leks’, with a Game Management the splashing of hooves and the low eater were added to our burgeoning located. As the day wore on, the in- prime locations being in the centre of the Area (GMA) 40 years DRC hum of the lechwe herds bird list. tense sun sapped my enthusiasm and group where there is the greatest access to ago. For many years However, it was the peculiar-looking energy, but the indefatigable guide was females. A single lamb is born after a seven- thereafter, conservationists tried to cre- benefit both local people and wildlife.’ to eight-month gestation period. DRC shoebill, a feathered Holy Grail and resolute. After seven long hours of pol- ate a national park here, but a lack of The board is aiming to help Zambians

arguably the most sought-after bird on ing, and without the aid of binoculars, funding, infrastructural development to effectively manage their natural  Weight 70–130 kg. the African continent, that soon he suddenly exclaimed, ‘Shoebill!’ and technical expertise conspired to ZAMBIA became my obsession – especially as The huge grey bird, resembling a Lifespan 12–15 years. keep the wilderness off Zambia’s tourist Lusaka ABOVE Despite heavy poaching in decades gone by, this is the only place in southern cross between a stork and a pelican, ap- Habitat Wetland floodplains and neigh- circuit. black lechwe breed prolifically in this idyllic environment Africa you’re likely to see one. peared to be fishing, so we approached bouring swamplands. The situation changed in 2008 when and this has helped the antelope to endure in large cautiously. Standing as still as a statue, the African Parks Network (APN) was numbers. Males can be distinguished from females by the Diet Grasses and aquatic plants. presence of horns and noticeably darker coloration. fter days of fruitless searching, I it stared into the reeded shallows for invited by the local community and the Call Low humming sound with alarm began to fear the worst. But what seemed an eternity, then its head Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to OPPOSITE Bangweulu has been designated as a game snorts. Ng’ona was undeterred, insist- darted forward into the water with become their private-sector partner in a management area, as opposed to a national park, so it is A imperative that the local people are afforded access for ing he knew just the man to help us lightning speed. A second later it Status Vulnerable at species level. project to manage the area. The non- sustainable resource use under a comprehensive track down this elusive, predominant- emerged with a sizeable catfish Threats Hunting and the loss of floodplain profit Bangweulu Wetlands Management management and land-use plan. ly solitary bird. The following morning clamped in its enormous hooked bill habitat. Board was established, with represent- PREVIOUS SPREAD A herd of wetland-adapted black he proudly reappeared, poling a small and gulped it down whole. atives from all three groups. lechwe bound across the Chimbwe floodplain.

40 AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC • NOVember 2011 www.africageographic.com 41 THE SHOEBILL BANGWEULU wetlands If there is one bird that attracts more visitors to the Bangweulu Wetlands than any other, it is the shoebill Balaeniceps rex (right). Standing 1.5 metres tall and with a wingspan of 2.5 metres, the shoebill’s scientific name means ‘King whale-head’. It is easy to see how the bird got its name: its enormous clog-shaped beak is 23 centi- metres long and 10 centimetres wide. The hooked tip and sharp slicing edges, designed to scoop, stab and crush in one motion, make it a formidable implement. The shoebill is endemic to Africa, inhabiting wetland regions and deep swamps from southern Sudan in the north (where the largest population is found) through Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Zambia in the south. It was first identified by Western science in 1851, when Victorian naturalist John Gould described the initial speci- men as ‘the most extraordinary bird I have seen for many years’. Scientists have since puzzled over its taxonomy, some classifying it among the and others among the storks. DNA evidence now suggests that the shoebill is most closely related to pelicans. The bird often frequents narrow fish-rich channels link- ing bodies of water, and ambushes its prey (apart from fish, the birds supplement their diets with reptiles and waterbirds) with a sudden lunge. It could win an award for perseverance for its ability to stand in a waterway beneath the full sun for hours, waiting for unsuspecting prey to swim past. Generally monogamous, a breeding pair requires a territory of at least two square kilometres. At the onset of heritage in the long run. ‘Ultimately, our potential, controlled hunting, sustain- the dry season, as the floodwaters recede, they construct goal is to create an environment in which able fishing and selective wood harvest- a large nest in a clearing of swamp grass on an island or the local communities and fishermen want ing stand to deliver substantial benefits raft of floating vegetation. Up to three eggs are laid and to preserve Bangweulu,’ he elaborated. to local communities. the parents will periodically dowse the eggs and chicks The project area comprises the pro- with water scooped up in their bills to prevent them from posed 2 910-square-kilometre Chikuni s we stood around discussing the overheating. However, inter-sibling rivalry means that Community Partnership Park (CCPP), proposed park and the future of generally only one youngster survives. along with the adjoining 3 090-square- Athe area, a group of fishermen and kilometre Bangweulu Game Management their families plodded past pushing heav- Weight 6 kg. Area. The status of the CCPP would ily laden bicycles en route to their vil- Lifespan Up to 50 years. resemble that of a national park, but it lages. I had heard that these locals, mem- Habitat Swamps and wetlands. bers of a 90 000-strong The huge grey bird, resembling fishing community scat- Diet Fish (especially lungfish and catfish), baby tered across the swamp’s , snakes, birds and frogs. a cross between a stork and seasonal islands, felt Call Although generally a quiet bird, it will clap its a pelican, appeared to be threatened by the arrival bill when greeting its mate at the nest, producing fishing, so we approached of AFP and their proposed a sound that resembles the clacking of castanets. cautiously park. Reid acknowledged, Status With an estimated population of fewer than ‘We are working with all 10 000, the shoebill is extremely vulnerable to human would belong to the local community the stakeholders, including the local (including overfishing and the theft of eggs rather than the state and would be man- communities and fishermen, to promote and chicks for the illegal wildlife trade), and the loss of aged by the private-sector partner, mak- a tourism and conservation ethic. swampland habitat, especially due to construction of ing it a pioneering concept in African However, the fishermen are especially dams. It is classified as Vulnerable. conservation. As we pulled up alongside concerned that the introduction of sus- ABOVE A hottentot teal takes off from a waterlily-infested a swampy pan, Reid cautioned, ‘While tainable fishing practices will impact pond. In Bangweulu mammals play second fiddle to the this is exciting, one must remember that negatively on their livelihoods.’ swamp’s astonishing birdlife. the project area is designated as a Game The villagers stared at us openly, and TOP Bangweulu is home not only to an astounding Management Area, meaning that the I gathered that tourists were a source of concentration of lechwe, but also to a 90 000-strong fish- local people must derive benefit from its intrigue. As we turned to go, Reid ing community that lives on the swamp’s seasonal islands, providing ongoing management challenges for the area’s resources. We intend to develop a com- added, ‘If the fisheries were to collapse, long-term future. prehensive land-use plan to make sure it would be absolutely catastrophic for that this is done in a sustainable man- all the mammal populations in the

ner.’ Aside from the region’s tourism Bangweulu system.’ 

www.africageographic.com 43 BANGWEULU WETLANDS

PACK YOUR BAGS When to go The best time to visit Bang- weulu is from May to August, when the Chimbwe Plains are dry enough to be driven on, but still sufficiently green to attract large concentrations of lechwe. The plains remain accessible until December, but from January to April heavy rains make most access roads impassable and the flooded wetlands reachable only by boat. Getting there By air: South African Airways www.flysaa.com, Kulula www.kulula.com and Airlines www.flyzambezi.com have frequent flights from Johannesburg to Lusaka. To connect to Bangweulu, contact ABOVE Local communities stand to derive significant and waterbuck to augment the benefits from the new Chikuni Community Partnership Park. the private charter companies Proflight remnant populations surviving within the www.proflight-zambia.com or Sky Trails BELOW Lechwe are easily able to outrun predators, thanks project area. Locally extinct predators, such www.skytrailszambia.com. to their long, powerful hind legs and elongated, splayed as leopards and African wild dogs, could hooves that prevent them from sinking into the follow. In the longer term, it is hoped that By road: Bangweulu is reached via the waterlogged ground. black rhinos will also return. Great North Road from Lusaka. Remem- Reid’s infectious enthusiasm for the ber that the nearest fuel and provisions There are exciting plans afoot. A major wetland makes him the ideal companion are in Serenje (182 kilometres from the translocation and restocking programme is when exploring its treasures. Despite the Chikuni airstrip); self-catering visitors in the pipeline, including the release of work that lies ahead, I can’t help but should stock up before leaving Lusaka. cheetahs back onto the reserve’s flood- believe that Bangweulu has the potential Where to stay Accommodation in the plains. ‘A five-year animal reintroduction to evolve into the Zambian equivalent of wetlands is available at Shoebill Island programme will be implemented to restore Botswana’s Okavango. Meanwhile, if you Camp, which offers safari tents or reed- the flora and fauna of the area,’ Reid told have a yearning for the untamed and walled cottages. For more information, me. A temporary wildlife sanctuary is unexplored, and don’t mind getting your go to www.kasanka.com. A selection of planned, which would enable the success- feet wet, then a veritable water wonder- campsites and self-catering tented camps ful translocation of roan, sable, eland, land awaits your visit. AG offer additional accommodation options. What to do Game drives, walking safaris and guided pirogue trips in search of shoe- bills, black lechwe and other wild animals. Don’t miss the Chimbwe Plains. Take a cultural tour to Nakapalayo village. Health and safety Zambia is an extremely safe country, but use common sense and don’t flaunt your wealth. Protection against malaria is essential. South African citizens returning home require a yellow fever jab.

For further information, go to www.african- parks.org or contact Kerri Rademeyer, Field Operations Manager of the Bangweulu Wetlands Project, at bangweulu@african- parks.org

44 AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC • novembeR 2011