Botswana Parks
By Anthony Ham
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the 'Botswana & Namibia' guide.
Chobe has a wealth of animal life, both in variety and in sheer numbers. Elephant and buffalo are a permanent presence on the riverbanks in the dry winter months. Burchell's zebra are very common as well, while smaller numbers of sable, roan and greater kudu can be found in the park interior. Lion are quite easy to find, and other predators that are regularly seen include wild dog, leopard and cheetah.
Wildlife Highlights
Thousands of animals on the floodplains kick up a lot of dust, which creates amazing photo opportunities at sunset. Less obvious are some of the smaller mammals such as the Chobe subspecies of bushbuck. Red lechwe are common in marshy areas. Some of the small predators include Selous' mongoose, serval and wild cat.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
Chobe has very seasonal wildlife viewing. The dry months, from May to October, are a good time to visit the Chobe River area in the north. During the Wet season, from December to April, animals tend to congregate around the pans in the interior.
Wildlife Rating Per Major Park
- Central Kalahari GR 4.2/5 39 Wildlife Ratings
- Chobe NP 4.7/5 197 Wildlife Ratings
- Makgadikgadi Pans NP 3.3/5 38 Wildlife Ratings
- Moremi GR 4.7/5 83 Wildlife Ratings
- Nxai Pan NP 4.0/5 29 Wildlife Ratings
- Okavango Delta 4.5/5 146 Wildlife Ratings
