Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park

Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park

The Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is home to half of the Mosi-oa-Tunya on the Zambezi River, known around the world as Victoria Falls, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The river marks the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, so the falls are divided between the two countries, and it is the twin of Victoria Falls National Park which is on the Zimbabwean side. The name "Mosi-oa-Tunya" derives from the Kololo or Lozi language, meaning "The Smoke that Thunders", and is now used across Zambia and parts of Zimbabwe. The park occupies an area of 66 km2 from the Songwe Gorge beneath the falls, in a north-westerly arc along the banks of the Zambian River for about 20 kilometers. The national park consists of two main parts, each with its own entrance. One part consists of a wildlife park at the north-western end, the other of an area next to Victoria Falls, which in the rainy season forms the largest curtain of waterfalls in the world. The wildlife park has high riverside forest featuring palm trees, miombo woodland and grassland, an abundance of birds, and animals such as the Angolan Giraffe, Burchell's Zebra, African Buffalo, Sable Antelope, impala and warthog. In addition, the park is now home to ten Southern White Rhinos, including some calves. African Elephants are frequently seen within the park when they cross the river during the dry season from the Zimbabwean side, as well as hippos and crocodiles. Since January 2009, there has been a " walking with lions " activity in the park, and there are also plans to start a lion breeding program.