Things to see and do Parc National D’upemba

The Upemba National Park was created in 1939 on an area of nearly 1,200,000 ha. It presents a variety of landscapes and ecosystems: valleys, shrub savannah, a grassy savannah plateau, high plateaus dotted with forest galleries as well as the large swampy valley of the Kamalondo depression, where the Lualaba River flows, which was to become the Congo River. It is in this depression that lakes Upemba, Mulenda, Kabwe and Kayumba are located. The park offers a beautiful diversity of environments conducive to a typical and varied fauna. The zebra, the roan antelope, the Cape eland, the hartebeest, the great kudu... are found in the highlands sector, while the savannahs are still home to one or another herd of elephants, buffaloes and antelopes. The swamps are home to several species of waterfowl, including many palearctic migrants, as well as hippos and crocodiles. At its inception, it was one of the most biodiverse reserves in the country and one of the few places to house zebras and cats, such as the large Upemba lion. But the park did not escape the consequences of the civil unrest that the country experienced in 2004 and to which it paid a heavy price (deforestation, poaching by Mai-Mai armed groups) to the point of threatening its survival.

Great efforts have been made, but access to certain areas of the site remains difficult, even for teams specializing in animal census. But the rest more than makes up for it. ICCN is also studying the possibility of a repopulation program in the two Katanga parks, in agreement with the Frankfurt Zoological Society. The park also includes various lakes, waterfalls (Kayo, Ipera, Kwanza, Munte, Dikolongo, Kalule) and some caves. Although it has existing infrastructure (renovated guest house, roads, bridges, hydroelectric system), the site has the potential to become a tourist attraction with some additional development. As elsewhere, a good vehicle is required to get there (about ten hours from Lubumbashi). Enter through Lubudi in the south, or Lusinga in the north (to enter the lakes area). Permits can be purchased and booked at the ICCN liaison office in Lubumbashi or through a travel agency.

Without doubt one of the most impressive on the North Kalule River, Kayo Falls (80 meters high) is a small jewel set between lush vegetation and this rocky cliff so particular with its structure similar to a giant mille-feuilles. The access to the foot of the waterfall starts from the park office, which serves as a small lodge. The descent is delicate because made slippery by the permanent drizzle. But the result is clearly worth the effort to admire all the force that emerges from these quantities of water thrown with fracas on the rocks.