Quicama National Park

Quicama National Park

Quicama National Park is located in the north-west of Angola, along the coast. The park covers an area of 9 960 square kilometers. Due to years of civil war throughout Angola, most national parks have been decimated by poaching and hunting. The park is situated between the Atlantic coast to the east, the Kwanza River to the north and the Longa River to the south, with much of it being savannah grassland, dense vegetation and Baobab forests. Riverine vegetation is often found along the main rivers bordering the park. Both the river banks and floodplains support a wide variety of vegetation that helps wildlife to survive. Quicama is the only park that is currently a national park. This is largely due to a joint effort between Botswana and South Africa known as Noah's Ark, which has served as the world's largest animal transplant, creating an opportunity to bring the park closer to its original state. The park is also involved in the Lion Conservation Unit Programme, which aims to reintroduce the continent's lion population. Other popular wildlife species include bushbuck, buffalo, eland, elephant, giraffe, ostrich, roan antelope, waterbuck, wildebeest and zebra. Wildlife is not as abundant as in the national parks of the neighboring country. Where the park is not as deep in mammalian species, it is a bird lover’s haven. There is an array of species that are nesting or migrating through the park. Birdwatching is actually one of the most popular activities of the national park.