By Anthony Ham
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Botswana.
Botswana has a healthy wildlife population. Most big safari animals are easily seen, with the exception of rhino, which have recently been reintroduced. The northern parks have permanent water sources and host greater concentrations of wildlife than the dry parks in the south.
Wildlife Highlights
The Okavango Delta and Moremi contain one of the largest populations of the highly endangered African wild dog. Wild dog packs roam over large territories and spotting them is 'hit-or-miss' except when they are denning. Sitatunga, red lechwe and puku can be found in the Okavango Delta, Moremi and Chobe's riverfront area. These remarkable rare antelopes have adapted to a semi-aquatic habitat and spend a lot of time in shallow water.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
In general, and especially for the northern parks, wildlife viewing is best during the Dry season (May to October). Vegetation is thinner, and animals concentrate around waterholes and rivers making them easier to spot. The Okavango Delta floods from June to October, providing the opportunity to watch wildlife in this unique ecosystem.The drier parks in the Kalahari area offer better wildlife viewing during the Wet season (November to April) when fresh grasses attract wildlife from the northern parks. During the rains, large herds of zebra migrate to Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans.
