Kanga Camp

AREA & ACTIVITIES

Habitat & Wildlife
Mana Pools National Park, a World Heritage Site, is a beautiful wilderness area, in northern Zimbabwe where the floodplains of the mighty Zambezi, wooded with acacia and mahogany trees, stretch out on either side of the river.

During the dry season, the floodplains teem with a wide variety of wildlife and birdlife. Herds of elephant, buffalo, kudu, eland, and waterbuck graze the sweet grasses or browse on the tasty albida pods. Lion and sable rest in the shade of the giant figs. Fringing the floodplains, the thick ‘Jesse’ bush shelters the shy creatures such as leopard, honey badger, nyala and bushbuck. Wild dog roam through the area, and crocodiles bask in the shallows, awaiting their chance of a meal when the animals report to quench their thirst. Hippo are everywhere. During the late season (late August onwards), both white fronted and carmine bee-eaters nest in the banks of the rivers providing a colourful spectacle complete the impressive list of birds to be seen.

Mana Pools is known for its high game concentrations which include a healthy number of elephant, buffalo and lion. Leopard and wild dog are regularly seen, though cheetah, rhino and giraffe are absent.

Activities
Activities at Kanga Pan include game drives, walking safaris and bird watching. Walking is good in the area, though game drives in the area are generally less productive than the core area of the park along the Zambezi shoreline. Full day game drives are possible to take in the Zambezi shoreline area, but most game drives will take place closer to camp. The real attraction here is Kanga Pan, and from August through to early November the pan receives a steady procession of game, and so wildlife viewing from camp is exceptional. By October, the pan becomes almost comically busy with animals sometimes ‘queuing’ for their turn to drink. There is a hide built beneath the central areas, and this frequently replaces the need for activities away from camp. Spending a few hours in the hide, with your guide, gives you the opportunity to sit quietly and observe not only elephant, lion, buffalo and wild dog at close quarters, but also the normally shy species such as leopard, honey badger, civet and porcupine.

Seasons
Kanga Camp is open for from April to early December, though Kanga Pan is most active from August to October.