Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the 'Botswana & Namibia' guide.
Because of the arid environment, wildlife numbers are relatively low in Namibia, but animals are easy to spot. All of the big predators are present, and cheetah is especially common throughout. Huge herds of animals, elephant in particular, can be seen in the Dry season at Etosha pan.
Wildlife Highlights
Damaraland is home to a healthy population of desert-adapted elephant, a smaller population of black rhino can be tracked in a similar environment. The secretive brown hyena is sometimes seen lurking around seal colonies on the coast. Other marine wildlife includes the rare heaviside's dolphin and migrating southern right whale.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
Namibia is relatively dry throughout the year, but there are two rainy seasons. The little rains are from November to December and the main rainy season is from January to April. During the rains, vegetation grows throughout the region and wildlife tends to scatter and is harder to find. The end of the Dry season (July-October) is the best time to see animals at the waterholes. This coincides with the busiest tourist season.
