Wildlife & Animals – Waterberg Plateau

Anthony Ham
Expert
By Anthony Ham

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the 'Botswana & Namibia' guide.

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of the 'Botswana & Namibia' Lonely Planet guide.

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

The isolated nature of the plateau makes the park an ideal refuge for threatened species. Both black and white rhino are protected here. You’re also likely to see giraffe and buffalo. Predator sightings are hit-and-miss, but cheetah, leopard and brown hyena can all be spotted. There are no lions or elephants.

Abundant
Common
Occasional
Rare
None
ElephantNone
GiraffeCommon
HippoNone
BuffaloOccasional
ZebraNone
WildebeestNone
White RhinoRare
Black RhinoRare
LionNone
LeopardVery Rare
CheetahVery Rare
HyenaOccasional
Wild DogVery Rare

Wildlife Highlights

The Waterberg Plateau plays a vital role in breeding endangered species for the restocking of other parks and conservation areas. Both roan and sable antelope fall in this category and they thrive on the plateau. Other antelope include eland, tsessebe, Damara dik-dik and greater kudu. The most common predator is the side-striped jackal and there have been some sightings of wild dog as well.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The Waterberg Plateau can be visited throughout the year but wildlife viewing is best in the dry months from May to October. Although animals are captive on the plateau, they are easier to find during these months as they gather around permanent water sources and the vegetation is thinner. Wildlife hides at some of these water sources increase your chances of spotting wildlife, especially the rare roan and sable antelope.

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