扎库马国家公园(Zakouma National Park)位于乍得东南部,占地面积大约3050平方公里。这里并非那种拎包就走的大众旅游目的地,而是为硬核旅行者准备的荒野殿堂。自从2010年非营利组织非洲公园(African Parks)接手管理以来,这片曾经饱受偷猎摧残的土地经历了奇迹般的重生。如今,这里守护着全球半数以上的科尔多凡长颈鹿(Kordofan giraffe),也是中非地区象群密度最高的区域之一。对于厌倦了东非游猎人挤人的旅行者来说,扎库马提供了一种近乎奢侈的孤独感和最原始的生命张力。
如果你在20年前来到扎库马,看到的可能是满地白骨。2002年到2010年间,由于非法偷猎猖獗,这里的象群数量从4000多头骤降至454头。现在的局面完全不同了,经过严格的准军事化巡逻管理,园内象群数量已经恢复到550头以上,且近年来几乎没有发生偷猎事件。在旱季末期,你能在萨拉马特河(Salamat River)沿岸看到数百头大象集结,那种遮天蔽日的压迫感是其他公园难以比拟的。象群的性格相比东非象要敏感一些,驱车游猎时必须保持安全距离,听着它们低沉的鸣叫,那种与原始荒野对话的感觉非常真实。
提到扎库马,很多人盯着大象,其实这里的鸟类资源更让人惊叹。公园记录在册的鸟类超过373种,其中猛禽就有40多种。每当三四月份水面缩小,数以万计的红嘴奎利亚雀(Red-billed Quelea)会在水塘上空形成巨大的黑色风暴,场景极其震撼。你可以看到成群的黑冠鹤(Black Crowned Crane)在湿地漫步,或者是鹈鹕在夕阳下排队捕食。哪怕你不是资深观鸟者,在这种视觉密度极高的环境下,也会不自觉地端起相机拍个不停。
扎库马的开放时间受季风气候严格限制。每年6月到11月是这里的雨季,洪水会淹没大部分土路,公园也会进入封园状态。真正适合游玩的时间是从12月到次年5月。如果非要选个黄金期,3月和4月是最佳选择。这时候天气热到让你怀疑人生,气温经常突破40摄氏度,但所有的野生动物为了寻找水源都会向残存的水塘集结。你会发现狮子就趴在离水源不远的灌木丛里等餐,而长颈鹿则在岸边谨慎地低头饮水,观察难度大大降低。
去扎库马的第一步是先抵达乍得首都恩贾梅纳(N'Djamena)。目前还没有常规的商业航班直接飞往公园,你只有两个选择。最省事但也最贵的是租用宣教航空(MAF)的小飞机,从首都起飞大约两小时就能降落在园内的土质跑道上。如果预算有限,那就得做好吃苦的准备。驱车前往需要约12到15个小时,且路况极其糟糕,旱季后期尘土飞扬,如果没有一台性能卓越且带双备胎的4x4越野车,这趟旅程很可能半路夭折。建议在路途中预留一天时间,住在沿途的小镇过夜,虽然条件简陋,但能让你更深刻地感受乍得的人间烟火。
园内的住宿选择并不多,但层级分明。婷加营地(Tinga Camp)是性价比最高的选择,这里提供带空调或风扇的砖房,虽然装修有些年代感,但贵在干净扎实,出门就能看到疣猪在草地上乱跑。如果你追求那种极致的、老派的非洲探险体验,且预算充足,那么游牧营地(Camp Nomade)是唯一选择。这是一个季节性的移动营地,采用帆布帐篷,设计极具审美。这里没有围栏,晚上睡觉时你能听到狮子的吼声就在几百米外回荡。钱的问题也得算清楚,婷加营地每晚大约150到200美元,而顶级私人订制的行程单人费用往往在数千美元起步。
在这里游猎不是坐在车里吹空调看风景。清晨六点半出发时,气温微凉,风吹在脸上甚至需要抱着热水杯取暖。但到了中午,太阳会像火球一样炙烤一切,这时候必须回营地午休。向导通常是本地最懂这片土地的人,他们能通过地上的粪便新鲜程度判断象群的去向。在这里不用担心像在克鲁格或塞伦盖蒂那样几十辆车围观一只狮子,在扎库马,你常常是方圆几十公里内唯一的观众,那种被大自然完全包围的孤独感才是旅行的精髓。
前往扎库马需要提前在乍得驻外使领馆办妥签证,且入境时必须出示黄热病疫苗接种证明。抵达首都后,前往公园前还需要在当地警察局办理旅行备案,建议通过园方或专业旅行社代办这些繁琐的行政手续。
扎库马目前是整个中非地区最安全的区域之一,非洲公园管理协会部署了受过专业训练的护林员昼夜巡逻。只要严格遵守向导指示,不擅自下车,不挑衅野生动物,安全是有保障的。但需要注意防疟疾,户外活动建议长袖长裤并涂抹强力避蚊霜。
如果不算往返乍得的国际机票,在园内停留5-7天的基础开销大约在1500至2500美元之间。这笔费用包含了从恩贾梅纳出发的地面往返交通、婷加营地的食宿以及每日的驱车游猎导向费。如果选择包机往返,预算则需额外增加至少2000美元。
这里可以看到非洲五霸中的狮子、豹、大象和水牛,但由于历史偷猎原因,目前扎库马没有黑犀牛或白犀牛。不过这里有极其珍稀的科尔多凡长颈鹿,全球仅存的约2000头中,有超过一半生活在这里,观赏价值极高。
不要对这里的网络抱有幻想,婷加营地仅在特定区域提供极其微弱且不稳定的Wi-Fi,发张照片可能需要半小时。建议准备一张卫星通信设备或纯粹享受几天断网的生活。这种与世隔绝的状态正是扎库马荒原魅力的一部分。
Karin Sinniger Zakouma and the Chadian government has done a terrific job of bringing wildlife back from the brink. The elephants in particular were decimated by Somalian poachers from neighboring Darfur during the conflict there and the approx. 500 left abandoned their matriarchal life, stopped breeding and grouped together just to survive. They are now up to 800 but are still very skittish around humans. We were dismayed at a female elephant with a baby charging and shrieking at us in terror. But if you are lucky, you will see 300 or so at a time coming to bathe in the river in a joyful manner if they feel safe. We sadly missed this, this but our Kenyan guide said he had tears streaming down his eyes witnessing this and thinking about how much the animals here have been through. And it's not just the elephants who are skittish. This means you can't expect the same close encounters with wildlife that you can in Botswana or East Africa. But it may be more authentic? Bird enthusiasts will like Zakouma because of its profuse bird life. Even non birders will be impressed by the red billed quelea murmurations. Over three days we saw cheetah; herds of water buffalo; a serval cat; genet; civet; a few lions and elephants; and mating mob. Although most of the action was on our first afternoon/evening game drive. After that, the animals moved to other watering holes and few visitors saw game. (This was in early March.) Breakfast starts at 5:30 AM for 6 AM game drives. It is a very simple continental breakfast but you can pay extra for eggs. Lunch is served around 12:00-12:30 PM with the afternoon game drives starting at 3:30 PM until around 7 PM or longer if there is action. The food (included in the package) is good but vegetarians just get pasta and potatoes unless you ask for more protein and give examples. They have well water that is filtered for free or you can buy plastic bottled water. Drinks are extra. There is a next day laundry service. (Extra charge.) Staff are very friendly and helpful but only the manager speaks English. Each safari vehicle is assigned coordinates in which to drive in to ensure each group gets a private safari experience, so you can't decide where you want to go. However, they do make sure you get to see different areas of the park during your time there. The driver/guides are well trained and enthusiastic but the guides who speak English work at the upscale Camp Nomad (see below, which is why most groups bring in a wildlife guide from Kenya). You should absolutely book a one night Salamat River fly camping experience. The tents and bedding (proper sheets, pillow and mattress in a zipped up bag) are very comfortable and they set up toilet and shower tents. Book this in advance as it's popular. The main camp is at Tinga. It consists of 24 2 person concrete rooms. The design is very poor (small windows; concrete; roof doesn't cover walls to keep sun off them) which means you bake (except in the cold winter months) as the ceiling and floor fan just move hot air around. It's like a hair dryer constantly blowing on you. The only way to sleep is to soak a sarong in cold water and wrap it around you. It will quickly dry but hopefully you'll drift off before then. The older rondavels are reportedly cooler than the newer rooms. There are no cupboards, but there is a desk and table. The beds have mosquito netting. There is a power bank in each room to charge devices but make sure it works when they take you to your room! Each room has ensuite shower and toilet with TP and soap provided. Some of our group got daily cleaning, others didn't. There is free, slow WIFI in a common area behind the main restaurant area. Zakouma also boasts a high end camp called Camp Nomad. It overlooks a river plain and the rooms are in spacious tents. Groups such as Steppes Travel (Doug Macdonald Kenya based guide) stay here. It's 2 hours to fly to Zakouma on an Airmax private charter from N'Djemena or 2 days driving by 4 WD.
Roderic Plinston One of the national parks with the most abundance of wildlife - but also one of the quietest in terms of human visitors…. You may often be the ONLY group in the park on a game drive…awesome photo opportunities!
Mohamed belfakih “I just wish the world was twice as big and half of it was still unexplored.” - David Attenborough . A sundowner view at one of the wildest and hands down the most wildlife and birdlife rich safari and wilderness area in Africa. . - Zakouma, southeastern Chad 🇹🇩, one of the most remarkable conservation stories in the world.
Bechir Haroun Zakouma National Park has experienced one of the most spectacular transformations in all of Africa. The national park is part of the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem—the primary safe haven for Central and West African wildlife—but between 2002-2010, poachers on horseback ransacked the park, decimating its natural resources while stirring fear and insecurity in local communities. In total, 4,000 elephants—95% of Zakouma’s population—were slaughtered for their ivory
Evan Everywhere A wonderful parqué, un the dry season or the wet season. Most people will visit from January to March or late April. If you want to see African wildlife, Zakouma will give you all that you can handle. Hopefully you can handle getting there....it is spectacular!