Wildlife in Botswana
Wildlife in Botswana: What to expect
Name the African animal you’d like to see on holiday and chances are you’ll be able to see it in Botswana. This is one of the best countries to see animals in their natural environment.
Botswana is home to the world’s biggest population of elephants, the second-largest migration of zebra on the planet and a wealth of other fantastic beasts and birds.
The country also has great options to try your luck at spotting the Big Five. You may need to move around a little, but it’s worth it for the diversity in landscapes and animals. Visit the Savuti region for lion, Mashatu Game Reserve for leopard, Chobe National Park for elephant, Moremi Game Reserve in search of the endangered black rhino and Northern Okavango Delta for massive herds of Cape buffalo. And let’s not forget the flamingos of the Makgadikgadi Pans and the famous black-maned Kalahari lions.
Endangered and different
If you’re more of a dog person than cats, Botswana’s northern areas have strong numbers of the endangered wild dog. You can also see bat-parted fox, black-backed and side-striped jackal. Hyenas are also present in these parts of Botswana – brown and spotted hyena the most common. The Delta is even home to the rare and elusive aardwolf too, but you’ll be hard pressed to spot it because it’s elusive and nocturnal. Another member of the same family is the civet.
Wildlife on the Pans
The Makgadikado Pans is home to an impressive number of birdlife when the water comes in. But few remain when it dries out. You will see ostrich, secretary birds and plovers lingering on the fringes of the pans. But the highlight is meeting meerkats of The Pans. These charming creatures are highly socialised, territorial and super fun to watch in the wild. A surprising natural phenomena is the zebra migration that takes place between these pans and the Okavango delta each year as they animals search for fresh grazing territory.
If these wildlife species of Botswana impress you and you’re dreaming of a holiday in Botswana we’d love to help. Please do reach out via telephone or email.
