The south receives less rain than the north and the game can be a little patchy, it is a wonderful place for those who have travelled Africa before and are looking for more of a discovery adventure than a wildlife one. The north is known as Busanga Plains, an undulating plateau, mainly consisting of miombo woodland veined by rivers and dotted with dambos. The main tree families here are Brachstegia and Julbernadia, which, due to bush fires, have built up some sort of fire-resistant bark. In the wet seasons heavy downpours drown the area, receding in the dry months to reveal lush green vegetation. In the very north, the Lufupa River flows into the permanent Busanga Swamps.

The tropical rivers are popular with hippos and crocodiles, and elephants are regularly seen on the sandy banks taking a drink, and it is fantastic to see them on the increase after they suffered so hard from poaching. Kafue National Park is well-renowned as one of the best places to spot leopard, especially at night with the use of a spotlight. Other predators include lions hanging out in trees, slender cheetah and elusive wild dogs. There are more species of antelope here than any other park, although it will take a bit of travel to see them all. There are about 158 mammal species recorded in the park, including some more unusual species such as pangolin, land monitor and aardvark, as well as two types of baboon, civets, spotted neck and clawless otters and the notorious honey badger.