Mweru wa Ntipa

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Mweru wa Ntipa

  • Country: 
    Zambia
  • Site number: 
    1661
  • Area: 
    490,000 ha
  • Designation date: 
    02-02-2007
  • Coordinates: 
    08°52'S 29°46'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

Mweru wa Ntipa. 02/02/07; Northern Province; 490,000 ha; 08°52'S 29°47'E. Includes National Park, Game Management Areas. The main features are rivers, swamps, and the Lake Mweru wa Ntipa basin, which is surrounded by flat wetland plains with itigi thickets and miombo woodlands. Riverine evergreen forests (with Ficus bussei, Ficus sycomorus, Trichilia emetica and Acacia adenocalyx) are found on the river and lake shores. This diversity of habitats makes the site a home to more than 390 bird species such as the Wattled crane, Shoebill, Black stork, and Goliath's Heron. Mammal species found here include the slender-snouted crocodile (Crocodylus cataphractus), wild dog (Lycaon pictus) and Elephant (Loxodonta Africana). The Mweru wa Ntipa lake records a number of indigenous fish species like the Green-Headed Bream (Oreochromis macrochir), Cat Fish (Auchenoglanis occidentalis), Mweru sardine (Poecilothrissa moeruensis) and Sharp Toothed Barbel (Clarias mossambicus). Fishing and cultivation of sorghum, millet, cassava, and rice in the swampy areas are major activities of local inhabitants. The problem of unsustainable fishing persists within the site and hopefully the implementation of the management plan for the the Mweru wa Ntipa National Park, as well as better enforcement of the fish bans during spawning periods, may help curb this. Ramsar site no. 1661. Most recent RIS information: 2007.

Administrative region: 
Northern Province

  • National legal designation: 
    • Game Management Area - Kaputa Game Management Area
    • National Park - Mweru wa Ntipa National Park
  • Last publication date: 
    02-02-2007

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