Shambe National Park

Shambe National Park sits on the White Nile where the river spreads into the Sudd, a mix of floodplain, swamp and woodland that lies on the route of the antelope migration that moves across eastern South Sudan, and it holds hippo, crocodile, sitatunga in the swamp and very large numbers of waterbirds. The Nile steamers used to call at Shambe. The park was set up in 1985, covers about 620 square kilometres and is also called Anyoop. Management is minimal. The antelope migration across eastern South Sudan is among the largest land mammal movements on earth and was rediscovered by aerial survey in 2007.

The landscape

• The Nile frontage - the river spreading into swamp at the park.
• The migration route - the ground the antelope movement crosses.
• The sitatunga - the swamp antelope in the papyrus.
• The waterbirds - the numbers the floodplain carries.

When to go

December to March is the dry season and the practical window. The rains from April flood the plain. The migration timing varies with the rains.

Things to know

There is minimal management and no visitor infrastructure. Access needs permits, a guide and river transport arranged well ahead. Wildlife sightings depend entirely on where the animals are.

Nearby

Rumbek is west, and the Sudd spreads north.

Key facts