This is a small wildlife sanctuary (only 25.5 square miles
(66 square kilometres) running along the north bank of the
Zambezi, encompassed in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. It
is worth a short visit not only for the sight of what are
probably Zambia’s only remaining rhino, but also for
some common species.
Within this park is the Old Drift cemetery where the first
European settlers were buried. They made camp by the river,
but kept succumbing to a strange and fatal illness. They
blamed the yellow/green-barked 'Fever Trees' for this incurable
malady, while all the time it was the malarial mosquito
causing their demise. Before long the community moved to
higher ground and the town of Livingstone emerged.
Livingstone's main street is dotted with classic colonial
buildings, and while some are decaying, many others have
been restored.
Victorian tin roofed houses with wooden verandas are a
typical example of the English settler architecture and
there is also a distinct art-deco influence. Livingstone
is a quiet lazy little town with much charm and a feeling
of optimism in the air.
Baboons are frequently seen on the paths leading to the
falls and small antelopes and warthogs inhabit the rainforests
that hug the edge of the falls. In the wildlife reserve,
the pastures and tall riverine forests contain plenty of
birds and a scattering of
animals including some white
rhino, elephants,
giraffe, zebra,
sable, eland,
buffalo and impala.