Kasanka National Park: Witness the largest mammal migration on earth

Africa's greatest mammal migration wherein millions of fruit bats descend on Kasanka National Park in Zambia between October and December is annually visited by tourists. Moreover, Kasanka National Park serves as conservation area protecting species such as the sitatunga and many species of birds, as well as the huge flocks of straw colored fruit bats.

The 10 million straw-colored fruit bats congregate in Kasanka's Fibwe Forest every year are thought to constitute the largest mammal migration on earth and are what Kasanka is best known for, but there is a huge amount besides the bats. Kasanka is a small park by Zambian standards, but is extraordinary in its diversity. For anyone seeking out the unusual, it is a wonderful place to visit.

According to Open Africa, Kasanka hosts a unique wildlife scenery every November and December when the fruit bats gather from around Central Africa to settle in an area of Mushitu swamp forest near the convergence of the Musola and Kasanka Rivers. Tourists love to see these bats going in every direction for twenty minutes as they leave their roost site to feed on seasonal fruit of the miombo woodlands.

The bat-filled sky overwhelms the senses of those who witness them. "It's absolutely one of the most mind-blowing and mesmerizing things I have ever witnessed," stated former park ecologist Frank Willems via National Geographic. And then there are the sounds of the flapping wings and bat cries on the savanna of northern Zambia, one of Africa's least visited but most rewarding wildlife regions.

But Kasanka isn't the only natural site in the region, it is but one of more than a dozen national parks and reserves stretching across north-central Zambia and into parts of neighboring Malawi and the Congo. In fact, Luangwa River and Rift Valley has three of these preserves, including the famous South Luangwa National Park with its large elephant herds and healthy populations of buffalo and hippos. The region's Lake Bengwuela Swamps are one of Africa's greatest wetlands, home to copious birdlife and antelope.

On the other hand, the Kasanka National Park has two lodges, the Wasa and the Luwombwa, as claimed byThe Best Of Zambia. It also comprises with three campsites, namely the Pontoon, the Kabwe and the Fibwe on offer. For visitors travelling on a budget, accommodation is also offered at the Kasanka Conservation Center in guest rooms or a dormitory.

Meanwhile, the activities offered for visitors include guided or self-drive game drives, guided walks, boat trips, aerial safaris and visits to the Fibwe Hide. During November and December guided Bat walks and viewing are also available.