Chobe National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Anthony is the author of the Lonely Planet guide to Botswana.

Chobe National Park has an impressive wealth of animal life. Elephants and buffalo are a permanent presence on the riverbanks and across the Savuti area in the dry months. Plains zebra, puku, wildebeest and impala are very common as well, while smaller numbers of greater kudu, roan antelope, sable antelope and eland can be found in the interior of the park. Lions are easily spotted and leopards are hard to find but widely present. You might be lucky to see wild dogs too.

ElephantAbundant

GiraffeCommon

HippoAbundant

BuffaloCommon

ZebraCommon

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionCommon

LeopardOccasional

CheetahRare

HyenaCommon

Wild DogOccasional

Wildlife Highlights

Large numbers of animals on the Savuti and other floodplains kick up a lot of dust, which can create amazing photo opportunities at sunset. The park is also excellent for predators, including lion, leopard and wild dogs. 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 seasonal wildlife viewing. The Dry season (April to October) months are excellent in the Chobe River area. During the Wet season (November to March), especially from December onward, animals tend to disperse across the park’s interior. Savuti is excellent year-round, but it can be very hot toward the end of the Dry season, especially in September and October. Access roads in Savuti can be difficult during the Wet season.