Bwabwata National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

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

Four of the Big Five (no rhino) are present in Bwabwata National Park in the Zambezi Region (formerly Caprivi Strip). However, wildlife densities are generally low. Large herds of elephants migrate through the park, and other big mammal species you might encounter are wildebeest, zebra and hippo.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeOccasional

HippoCommon

BuffaloOccasional

ZebraOccasional

WildebeestOccasional

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardRare

CheetahVery Rare

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogRare

Wildlife Highlights

Bwabwata has a good variety of antelope, including the sought-after roan, sable, greater kudu and the rare red lechwe. Watch also for the shy, semi-aquatic sitatunga, which can sometimes be spotted in dense swamp vegetation. Lion, leopard, cheetah and spotted hyena are present, but sightings require good fortune. Lucky visitors might even spot wild dogs, as several packs sometimes move through the park.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The cool, dry period from May to September is the best time to spot animals, although Bwabwata can be visited year-round. During the Wet season (November to April), flooding causes animal populations to disperse due to the abundance of water, which makes wildlife viewing more difficult. However, the wetter months are the best time for birding.