The latest news from Zambia Tourism

(Posted 30th May 2026)

Can Captive Lions be Rewilded at Lolelunga?

A team of experts is closely monitoring the progress of a male and female previously held in captivity to see if they can successfully adjust to life in the wild.

R7A and R7 have a new home in Lolelunga.

The 7-year-old pair are first housed in a secure area 10 times the size of their previous space to encourage bonding, which will increase their chances of survival in the wild. The next part of the process involves ‘scavenging trials’ in which carcasses will be left in their territory to stimulate their natural opportunistic scavenging traits (lions routinely steal kills from hyenas and leopards). The aim is to reinforce the notion that food comes from their surroundings, not from human keepers.

Once the team of a wildlife vet, lion-rewilding specialist and on-site management are satisfied with their hunting progress, the lions will be monitored at a distance using GPS tracking collars that will record their movements. Stationery lions are often eating kills so the team will be able to understand if they are hunting suitable prey successfully. The team will also keep their distance to ensure the pair start developing a natural aversion to humans after being surrounded by them for so many years.

The male and female were chosen to ensure they do not share a genetic overlap with the lions in Kafue National Park and the surrounding GMAs (game management areas). If breeding does ever occur, a new genetic bloodline will benefit the offspring.

Major Rebuild for Long-standing Lodge

One of South Luangwa’s oldest lodges – built in 1992 – is set to get a significant revamp for the 2027 season.

By Zambia Tourism|May 26th, 2026|News, Shenton Safaris, South Luangwa, Zambia News

Guests arriving for the 2027 season at Kaingo Camp will experience completely new rooms. Shenton Safaris’ flagship lodge – built in 1992 – is getting a major overhaul during the annual shutdown between November 2026 and May 2027.

All the rooms are being rebuilt to be more spacious and have an improved indoor-outdoor design. The aim is to have a balance between refined luxury and comfort that also retains Kaingo’s original character and Shenton’s focus on authentic safaris in South Luangwa National Park.

This major revamp follows the upgrades to sister bush camp Mwamba in 2024 – read more here.

There are two long-stay specials at Kaingo for the 2026 season – click here and scroll down to find out more about how you can save.

Researchers Find Zambezi River Even Longer than Previously Thought

A study has found that at least 70% of the water making up the Zambezi actually originates in Angola rather than in Zambia.

Below is the river seen from the pontoon at Waterberry Zambezi Lodge.

Researchers have discovered that the Zambezi river actually begins in Angola, not Zambia as was previously believed. They have also found that the river is about 10% longer than earlier estimates.

Scientists from The Wilderness Project, which was created in 2018 to study African freshwater systems such as the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Zambezi, have found that more than 70% of the water flowing over the Victoria Falls actually originates in Angola.

To investigate the true source of the river, research teams paddled from the commonly accepted starting point near Kalene Hill in Northwestern province. They also explored the Lungwebungu River in Angola to determine which source was farther from the ocean. Their measurements showed that if the Angolan source is used, the Zambezi is 342km / 213mi longer than previously thought.

The Lungwebungu river begins in the highlands of Angola and flows for about 1 032km / 641mi before joining the Zambezi near Lukulu in Western province.

In 2022 and 2023, researchers from The Wilderness Project, together with the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project and the Wild Bird Trust, paddled the entire length of the Zambezi River.

Based on the new research, the Zambezi is now considered to be 3 421km / 2 126mi long. It remains the fourth-longest river in Africa after the Nile, Congo and Niger rivers.

African Parks Surpasses Investment Target

African Parks has invested USD34-million in Zambia in five years, surpassing their original commitment of USD20m over 20 years.

African Parks has invested USD34-million in Zambia in five years, surpassing their original commitment of USD20m over 20 years. This is according to Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba, speaking at a tourism stakeholder conference in Lusaka.

African Parks hailed the Zambian government’s commitment to establishing and strengthening national parks, game management areas (GMAs), forest reserves and protected wetlands – such as Bangweulu – across the across to country with the aim of unlocking their ‘ecological, social and economic value’.

An example of this is African Parks working with the government and Barotse Royal Establishment in Liuwa Plain National Park to establish visitor campsites and highlight attractions such as traditional fishing methods.