The cheetahs of Kafue National Park’s Busanga Plains

There are no formal population estimates for cheetahs in Kafue because they live at very low densities, are often very shy, have enormous home ranges (some males have ranges larger than 2,000 km²), and much of the park is a woodland. The combination of these factors makes counting them, even with tools like camera traps, incredibly difficult. Some cheetahs have gone three to five years between re-sightings.

Stretching across more than 22,000 km², Kafue is one of Africa's largest and most diverse protected areas, a vast mosaic of woodlands, river systems, floodplains and open grasslands. The park is managed by African Parks in partnership with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife, and supports an extraordinary range of wildlife, including one of Zambia's most important cheetah populations. 

The current population estimate for cheetahs in the entirety of the greater Kafue ecosystem is around 80–100 subadults and adults. This estimate is based on the expert opinion of researchers from organisations like the Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), the ZCP, and Panthera.

That said, what we do not know is exactly how many cheetahs live in northern Kafue. As of the end of 2025, there were at least seven resident cheetahs living in or near central Busanga Plains where Wilderness Shumba and Busanga Bush Camp are located. 

These seven individuals are intensively monitored by DNPW and the ZCP:

Jishuko: an adult female who is frequently seen in the company of her daughter (Juba). Unfortunately, at the end of 2025 her son was killed by lions, but Juba survived, dispersed, and will likely soon begin a family of her own. Jishuko is known to visit Busanga’s main game-viewing area, but she typically prefers to hang out a few kilometres away, likely because she’s avoiding the areas with super high lion densities.

Juba: a sub-adult female who is the daughter of Jishuko. As a youngster, Juba is still mostly living within her mother’s range, which means she still resides in the northern portion of Busanga Plains. We hope that this year Juba will have her first litter of cubs. 

Lole: a mature, adult female who lives along the northern edge of Busanga Plains. She spends most of her time along the edge of the park boundary.

Tika: a mature but shy adult female who lives in the woodlands south of the Busanga Plains, but she is occasionally seen along the treeline near the airstrip.

The Nkala Coalition: these three brothers were first collared by Panthera when they were still living with their mother in southern Kafue, more than 200km south from where they now reside. After dispersing north, these three very handsome, very relaxed, and very charismatic brothers established their territory on the southern and eastern edges of Busanga Plains. For the past two years, they have become a common sighting.

In addition to the individuals mentioned above, there are also a handful of uncollared cheetahs that are seen each year in Busanga Plains.