Zambezi Region (Caprivi Strip)

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

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

Although sometimes harder to spot than in the drier parks of Namibia, there is a great deal of wildlife in the Zambezi Region (formerly Caprivi Strip). Animals are attracted to the lush vegetation and permanent water. Buffalo and elephant are plentiful and there are lots of predators. There are no rhinos, but other animals to look out for include giraffe, zebra and wildebeest.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeCommon

HippoAbundant

BuffaloOccasional

ZebraCommon

WildebeestOccasional

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardVery Rare

CheetahNone

HyenaRare

Wild DogVery Rare

Wildlife Highlights

The Zambezi Region has some magnificent permanent marshes and is flooded part of the year. This creates a perfect habitat for water-loving animals, which are scarce in the rest of the country. Hippos and crocodiles are abundant in the rivers and antelope such as waterbuck, red lechwe and the rare semi-aquatic sitatunga thrive in the marshes. There is plenty of food for resident lions and wild dogs often roam this area as well.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The Zambezi Region is best visited in the cooler dry months from May to October. Animals disperse during the Wet season from November to April, the vegetation also tends to be very thick during this time, and the roads can become impassable.