Chobe National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Anthony is the author of the Botswana & Namibia Lonely Planet guide.

Chobe National Park has an impressive wealth of animal life. Elephants and buffalo are a permanent presence on the riverbanks in the dry months. Plains zebra, puku and impala are very common as well, while smaller numbers of greater kudu and sable antelope can be found in the park interior. Lions are easily spotted and you might be lucky to see wild dogs too.

ElephantAbundant

GiraffeCommon

HippoAbundant

BuffaloAbundant

ZebraAbundant

WildebeestOccasional

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionCommon

LeopardOccasional

CheetahRare

HyenaCommon

Wild DogOccasional

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 lechwes 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 gather around the pans in the interior.