© Mutumbi Safari Lodge

Located on the Northern side of the Kafue River's floodplain, Blue lagoon is a recently re-opened National Park. It was closed to the public for some years and before that owned by a farming couple turned conservationists, the Critchleys.

The environment is still in good shape and now that it's being managed the wildlife are returning. This wetland has been designated by the WWF as a protected conservation area and they are monitoring the maintenance of the area as a wetland of global importance.

The park is very flat and sections nearer the river flood in the rainy season. This produces a watery grassland for miles into the horizon. Both the resident waterbirds and water loving lechwe thrive here.

The varied vegetation is home to a wide variety of birds and animals but they are restricted to fairly small areas of the park so you need to move around to have a good chance of seeing them.

Huge herds of Kafue Lechwe, endemic to this area, roam the plains. In smaller numbers you'll also see buffalo, eland, roan, zebra, hartebeest, blue wildebeest, puku, reedbuck and oribi antelope.

On the edge of the plains in the thickets you'll find Monkeys, baboons and Kudu.

Many migrant birds are attracted to the lagoons. Fulvous ducks, sandgrouse, sandpipers, little stints and black winged stilts, ruff, avocet, godwits as well as blacksmith, crowned and white-crowned plovers

The rainy season from November to April is the best time to visit the park for birdwatching. There is a causeway that extends into the flats for about 5kms.

On the causeway, there is a memorial stone from Kenneth Kaunda dedicated to Mrs Critchley who died in 1976.

Some facts about the Kafue Lechwe from the WWF website

Kafue lechwe is the region's most famous animal as it lives only in the Kafue Flats and nowhere else. Lechwe is an old Bantu name for antelope and the Kafue lechwe is one of three different races of lechwe or marsh antelope which live specifically in swamps and wetlands.

The hooves of the Kafue lechwe are long and wide-spreading which enables the animal to move easily on marshy ground. Indeed the Kafue lechwe is far more at home wading through half a metre of water than stumbling across dry land - and it’s also an excellent swimmer.

The Kafue lechwe is a medium-sized, reddish brown antelope with white undersides. The males have beautiful long, lyre-shaped horns which are thin and ridged along most of their length.

Since the construction of hydroelectric dams in the Kafue Flats in the 1970’s, it’s thought that the population of Kafue lechwe has been more than halved: from approximately 100,000 in the 1970’s to fewer than 40,000 in 2001.

However one of WWF’s priorities in the Kafue Flats is to restore the original population size and, where necessary, to reintroduce this species into areas where it no longer lives.

The Kafue lechwe is the region's most famous animal as it lives only in the Kafue Flats and nowhere else. Lechwe is an old Bantu name for antelope and the Kafue lechwe is one of three different races of lechwe or marsh antelope which live specifically in swamps and wetlands.

The Kafue lechwe is a medium-sized, reddish brown antelope with white undersides. The males have beautiful long, lyre-shaped horns which are thin and ridged along most of their length

Size - They stand about 85 - 110 cms tall and weigh between 60 - 130 kg.

Colour -Their long, rough greasy coat is reddish-brown with white undersides. The males have lyre-shaped horns which can reach 90 cms. The Kafue lechwe has distinctive black markings on its face and front legs.Habitat - Kafue lechwe are happiest standing in up to 50 cms depth of water, only coming out to rest or calve.

Diet - Grass and aquatic plants.

Breeding - Females give birth after 7-8 months gestation and give milk for 3-4 months.

Behaviour - Yes, large groups of 400 or more individuals. Lechwe emit a snorting cough as an alert signal and during mating displays. Kafue lechwe are known as semi-aquatic antelopes and are regularly seen grazing in shoulder-deep water. When frightened, they completely submerge leaving only their nostrils showing. The Kafue lechwe is unique to the Kafue Flats.