By Mark Townsend
Located in North Western Province, the West Lunga National park is one of our smallest and least visited parks, covering an area of around, 1700 square kilometers.
The park is bordered by two rivers, the Kabompo River and the Lunga River.
Unlike other parks, the West Lunga National Park is predominantly covered in dense forest with some dambos and patches of grassland.
This dense forest makes the park the perfect habitat for the Yellow-backed Duiker.
The West Lunga was actually established as a National Park to create a safe haven and protected area for the Yellow-backed Duiker.
The Yellow-backed Duiker is a forest dwelling antelope. Nocturnal by nature, these antelopes have hidden places where they rest during the day, usually in the dense forest vegetation.
The Yellow-backed Duiker has a convex body shape, meaning they stand taller at the rump than at the shoulders.
The Yellow-backed Duiker gets its name from the characteristic patch of yellow hair on its back. These hairs form a sort crest, that runs down the center of their back.
If alarmed, they will erect this yellow crest on their back, give off a distinctive alarm call and disappear into the thick bush. This makes them extremely illusive and very difficult to sight.
