Zambia is a land-locked country in Southern Africa sharing contiguous borders with 8 other countries. After 1911 and British colonization it was part of Northern Rhodesia. In 1964 Zambia gained its independence. However, the people indigenous to the area have their roots in tribes who were there thousands of years ago. The marvelous "upside down tree" was there with those early inhabitants. The baobab tree potentially can live two thousand years. Some can grow to 98 ft. with a trunk diameter of 36 ft.
One of the most unusual sightings I've seen was the interchange between a young hippo and a young hyena in South Luangwa Park. They were too young to know they were enemies and were very curiously checking each other out. There's a lesson in that.
This female leopard was hiding down in a ravine where a herd of puku were peacefully grazing on either side. We watched her crawl on her belly to get from one end to the other; then she carefully pulled herself up to check out her prey.
A baby giraffe can walk minutes after its birth. This Thornicroft giraffe is about 6 weeks old but there is a vestige of the umbilical cord still present. This species is only found in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley and none are in captivity.
One of the attractions for going to Zambia is the ability to go on night drives which are prohibited in several other countries known for big game. This gives you a rare opportunity to observe predators stalking prey, as well as nocturnal animals such as the Cape Porcupine. When threatened, they run backwards to ram their attacker with quills that are aimed in that direction.
The Zambezi River is famous for the danger of its crocodiles and huge hippos but it has a peaceful side as well.
