Photo: Imago

A kingdom for animal welfare

By WIN SCHUMACHER (text) and MARKUS ARNOLD (photos)

Photo: Imago

May 11, 2023 · Zambia's most remote protected area dates back to the King of Barotseland, the indigenous Lozi. Even today, Barotseland enjoys a certain degree of autonomy within Zambia and still has its own king. Visiting Liuwa Plain National Park

Where is Bon Jovi? Rabson Kunda lets his gaze glide through binoculars along the horizon again and again. "He is a powerful animal," says the guide, "a worthy ruler." It's late afternoon and the African sun is low over the bush strip in the distance. A mild wind blows over the tree island of the savannah. A startled red-throated francolin complains loudly about the intruders on his lonely island in the middle of the grasslands. From a treetop, a curious golden bow parrot answers.


Bon Jovi is the most famous lion in Liuwa Plain National Park, probably Zambia's most remote protected area, in the west of the country not far from the border with Angola. An American tourist is said to have given this name to the king of the savannah - because of his wildly proliferating mane. For the scientists who have been following the animal since its birth seven years ago, it is 577. "It may look quite fluffy," says Kunda, "but it is anything but a cuddly toy." Two years ago, 577 killed his brother 576, whom he wanted to eliminate as probably the only rival in the swampland of Liuwa, in battle.


The elephants found their way out of misery, they also have him to thank. The Lozi King Lubosi Imwiko II in his residence in Limulunga. Photo: Imago

The story of the Lions of Liuwa is not a Disney fairy tale. However, their home in Zambia's wild west is rich in myths and legendary tales. Unlike many others in Africa, the sanctuary does not go back to a foundation by white settlers and big game hunters, but to the king of Barotseland of the native Lozi. Even today, Barotseland enjoys a certain degree of autonomy within Zambia and still has its own king. As early as 1880, Litunga Lewanika I declared his people to be guardians of the grassy plains of Liuwa, which turn into impassable swampland every year during the rainy season. At that time, his empire was still independent. In 1890 it became a British protectorate, which later became part of Northern Rhodesia and in 1964 Zambia.

To this day, every year at the end of the rainy season, the colourful Kuomboka procession through the marshland takes place, during which the King of Barotseland is taken from his summer residence in Lealui to the higher Limulunga in a boat surmounted by a huge animal sculpture. King Lewanika once foresaw that the thousands upon thousands of wildebeest and other ungulates, which move to the alluvial plain to calve with the first rain showers, were endangered without strict laws. Even then, the eternal cycle of their migratory routes was threatened.

"Because lions were almost extinct for decades, hyenas have taken on their role in hunting wildebeest, a rarely observed behavior."

Rabson Kunda, ranger in Liuwa Plain National Park

Today, the migration of the blue wildebeest to the Liuwa Plain National Park is the second largest in Africa after the famous "Great Migration" from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara. More than 36,000 of the animals and around 4000 zebras make their way south in October. They are followed by cheetahs, lions, wild dogs – and especially hyenas. "Unlike elsewhere, hyenas can often be observed here during the day," says Kunda, "they are the most important predators here." Although he still hasn't spotted the pride of lions around Bon Jovi, he happily shows his guests a dozen spotted hyenas that are burrowing in the middle of the grasslands. Curious, the clan surrounds the off-road vehicle. Not far away, wildebeest calves, who are only a few days old, follow their herd, which forms a scattered snake of hundreds of animals across the plain. On their thin legs, the young animals sometimes chase after each other. "They live dangerously," says Kunda. "Because lions were almost extinct for decades, hyenas have taken over their role in hunting wildebeest," he explains, "a behavior that is rarely observed."


In the focus of tourists: a spotted hyena The lion "Bon Jovi" or also known as -577 Birds in luck: The crowned cranes also enjoy the protected area. The Oribis antelopes always keep an eye on the photographer. Breathless: A wildebeest roams the grasslands.

Darkness falls over the grassy plain and the eerie laughter of the hyenas can be heard from afar. There are said to be more than 350 of the animals in the national park. Kunda brings its guests back to the luxurious King Lewanika Lodge, currently the only accommodation option besides a few campsites, which are mainly used by local and South African self-drivers. Delicate Oribi antelopes, white-tailed mongooses and two porcupines scurry through the spotlight. Only Bon Jovi is still missing. Liuwa Plain National Park is not a safari destination for the impatient on the hunt for the Big Five. You won't find elephants, leopards or rhinos here.

For lovers of the wilderness who find themselves in a rough, almost endless expanse after a strenuous journey by off-road vehicle or landing with a bush plane, it is a true dreamland. The seclusion fills the few visitors with a deep sense of happiness to have been the only person to have penetrated a part of Africa that seems to be removed from any time. There are still vanishingly few tourists in Liuwa Plain National Park – in 2022 there were 989; In 2019 – before the pandemic – 1146 in the whole year. By comparison, South Africa's Kruger National Park attracted 1.8 million visitors in the same year. However, the approximately 3500 square kilometer protected area is not a deserted world. Unlike most national parks in Africa, more than 12,000 locals live here, who also have relatively extensive land use rights.

Early in the morning, Kunda set off to show his guests a Lozi village. The path leads past a lake where locals hunt for catfish with nets and spears. They proudly show the tourists the fish, some of which are over a meter long. They often survive the dry season in the mud. "Many families, including the king himself, have their own lake, which feeds them and is an important source of income," Kunda explains. From here, the fish are exported to the capital Lusaka and to the border with the Congo.

The Lozi have a special relationship with the wildlife that surrounds them.

Not far from the village of Mokopano, the guide meets a group of rangers who have set up camp nearby. Among the gamekeepers are also two women. "At school, I was in a conservation club," says 20-year-old Juliet Sinvula. "That's where my desire to become a ranger came from." She also sees herself in the footsteps of King Lewanika. "For us Lozi, the protection of nature is a matter of course," she says. In the last call for ranger positions in the national park, half of those selected were women. In the mythology of the Lozi, their people go back to the legendary Queen Mbuywamwambwa, who is said to have lived over 500 years ago. Mambeti, the daughter of a spiritual leader and great hunter of the Lozi Sieyenge, is also revered as a wise woman. She is said to have possessed the ability to talk to the animals. "The Lozi have an emotional sense of responsibility for the wild animals," says Induna Mundandwe, village chief from the village of Kanjende, "from which a self-image for living together with them is derived." However, as a teenager, the 59-year-old experienced first-hand how vulnerable the biological balance in Liuwa is. "As a result of the civil war in Angola in the seventies, weapons were suddenly available everywhere. People started shooting the animals and selling their meat."


"The Lozi have an emotional sense of responsibility for the wild animals, from which a self-image for living together with them is derived."

Induna Mundandwe, village chief from Kanjende

Due to the barely controlled poaching, Liuwa gradually lost some of its once rich biodiversity, including almost all lions, wild dogs and cheetahs. "Until 2003, there were only two rangers who couldn't possibly monitor the vast area," says Mundandwe. In the early 2000s, Lady Liuwa, the last surviving lioness in the area, became known beyond Zambia. "Because fishermen found her tracks around Mambeti's grave and she kept looking for the proximity of the villages, the locals believed she was a reincarnation of the wise woman," says Kunda. In 2003, the conservation organization African Parks took over the management of the national park in cooperation with the Zambian government and the Barotse Royal Establishment. With over 130 employees, the national park is now the largest employer in the region. The majority of these are local rangers who patrol different parts of the park. Gradually, formerly native species such as lions, wild dogs, cape buffalo and eland were reintroduced. Liuwa has regained much of its former biodiversity.

Induna Mundandwe, village chief from Kanjende Sepo Mubonda (left) and Rabson Kunda (right), ranger and guide in Liuwa Plain National Park With heart and soul Ranger: Juliet Sinvula "Many families, including the king himself, have their own lake, which feeds them and is an important source of income," Kunda explains

In the late afternoon, Kunda meets conservationist Sally Reece, who coordinates the reintroduction projects in the national park for African Parks. Part of their work is also mediating in conflicts between villagers and wild animals. "The people here want to live together with the animals – including the predators," says the 40-year-old South African, "they are very proud of the heritage of the Lutanga and it is important to them to protect it." African Parks supports sustainable economic initiatives in the villages in and around the park. A smokehouse and loading station was set up to resell the fish, and the villagers produce their own honey with more than 1200 beehives, which they also sell. Dried mangoes are an additional source of income. Tourism is also to be promoted more strongly in the future. To compensate for farmers' livestock losses, a compensation fund has just been set up, where 126 farmers can apply for compensation if they lose one of their 7000 animals to predators. "Lozi could well be a model for other protected areas," says Reece.

"Liuwa is unique for its remoteness and that it is not a cut off ecosystem."

Daan Smit, wildlife conservation expert

Map: F.A.Z.

Today, the South African is accompanied by the Dutch researcher Daan Smit. The wildlife conservation expert researches the predators in the national park for the Zambian Carnivore Programme. "Liuwa is unique for its remoteness and that it's not a cut off ecosystem," says Smit. With a transmitter, he can locate some of the now 12 wild dogs and 16 lions in the national park. Some of them wear a radio collar so that researchers can track their movements in the park when they are close enough to their whereabouts. That evening, he wants to track down the wild dogs. Are they still in the area where his employees last saw them? Smit raises the antenna of his receiver even higher, but there is no beep. "Actually, it's the time when they start their hunt," says the 31-year-old. The sun is already low. Above the grassy plain, thousands and thousands of black-winged curlews pass by in gigantic flocks. "They came all the way here from Kazakhstan," Smit explains. Surrounded by the birds, he sets off in an off-road vehicle towards the centre of the protected area.

At some point, his radio receives a different signal. It dates from 577 – Bon Jovi. And indeed, not far from the tree island where Kunda had already suspected him the day before, the group suddenly meets the king of Liuwa. There's no doubt about it: the lion with the mane growing wildly into his forehead is a rock star. He raises his head suspiciously and examines the human vehicle with the energized gaze of an autocrat. The sun has long since set. The pack will soon set off on a new foray. Reece and Smit watch as Bon Jovi disappears into the darkness. Again the hyenas laugh in the distance. For the wild herds of wildebeest of Liuwa, another breathless night begins.

The road to Zambia

F.A.Z. Arrival For example, with Ethiopian Airlines ( ethiopianairlines.com) via Addis Ababa to Lusaka or with Lufthansa and SA Airlink (flyairlink.com) via Johannesburg to Livingstone. From there you can get to the Liuwa Plain National Park with Proflight Zambia ( proflight-zambia.com) or bush pilots of the safari operators. Travelling by off-road vehicle as a self-drive requires experience and can take up to two days in the rainy season.

Accommodation The exclusive King Lewanika Lodge of the safari operator Time + Tide is secluded in the grassy plains. From October to June, lions, cheetahs and wild dogs can often be observed there in addition to hyenas. Time + Tide Africa also offers camps in Zambia's most wildlife-rich and scenic protected areas, such as the South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi National Parks. ( www.timeandtideafrica.com) For experienced travelers to Africa, the park can also be explored by off-road vehicle on your own as a camper.

Organizer Evening Sun Africa connects safaris in the most important protected areas of Zambia. ( www.abendsonneafrika.de, Tel. 07343 / 929 98-0)
More information www.african-parks.org and www.zambiatourism.com

Editor's
note:
Some of the research trips for this article were supported by tour operators, hotels, airlines or tourist offices. This does not affect the content of the texts.

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