20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Black Lechwe Herd at Sunset

A black lechwe looks back from a huge herd and move through the open grassland in the Bangweulu Wetlands in Zambia. This marshland has well over 50,000 black lechwe, which are endemic to the area. Large grazing areas surrounded by vast waterways and islands make this an ideal habitat for them. This herd grew in size as more and more of them emerged from the edges of the field as the sun was setting joining the mass of lechwe moving through the open area in the field.The sunlight streamed in between and from behind them.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Zambia
Camera: ILCE-7RM4
Copyright: © Beverly Houwing