Cameia National Park in Angola-

Cameia National Park is a national park in Angola that is situated in the Moxico province of the western region of the country. The park is located at about 1100m above the sea level and it covers a surface of about 14.450 square kilometers. Cameia national park is named after the municipality of Cameia where it is positioned.

First established as a game reserve in 1938 and as a national park in 1957, Cameica national park covers an area of approximately 1,445 square kilometers. The park is bordered and cross by different ecosystems including the lakes and rivers. On the northern boundary, the park is bordered by River Zambezi which pours its water in river Chifumage on the southern border and then on the eastern boundary there’s river Luena and Lumege rivers.

Also, there are two lakes Lago Cameia and Lago Dilolo which is the largest lake in Angola which lie outside the park boundaries. Both the lakes have extensive reed beds and the grassy swamps that are rich in aquatic birds.

Wildlife of the park

Though the wildlife of the park has been completely polished by different factors including civil wars, uncontrolled poaching and the destruction of the infrastructure, there are some games that can be sighted in the park including the reedbucks, wildebeests, lechwe antelopes, and the tsessebe. Among the animals that once lived in the park include the cheetahs, warthogs, lions, and leopards.

Since Cameia National park is crossed and bordered by several rivers and lakes, it attracts a variety of water birds and woodland bird species. The park records over 29 water bird species including the Angoal barbler, the black tailed cisticola, Rufous bellied tit, Angola lark, the brown fire finch nad and the kurrichane thrush.

Vegetation of the park

Cameia National Park encompasses the miombo woodland in the river basin in the west and the lake shores of the park are filled with the waterlogged grassland swamps and the reed beds. The park is known as one of the highest rainfall belts in the country – Angola since it receives about 1145mm of rainfall throughout the year.

Accessibility of the national park

Cameia national park is located in the Moxico province of western Angola. It can be easily accessed via Cameia – Luacano road which forms the northern boundary of the park. The park is accessed through Lumeje gate which is few meters from Cameia – Luacano road.