Etosha National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

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

Wildlife viewing in Etosha National Park is exceptionally good during the Dry season (May to October). The variety and sheer number of animals is outstanding. Four of the Big Five are present in good numbers, with only buffalo absent. A constant stream of herbivores is commonly seen at waterholes. They include elephant, blue wildebeest, zebra, giraffe and several desert-adapted antelopes, such as springbok and gemsbok.

ElephantAbundant

GiraffeCommon

HippoNone

BuffaloNone

ZebraAbundant

WildebeestAbundant

White RhinoVery Rare

Black RhinoOccasional

LionOccasional

LeopardVery Rare

CheetahVery Rare

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogNone

Wildlife Highlights

Etosha has two near-endemic species of antelope: the elegant black-faced impala can be found in breeding and bachelor herds, and the tiny Damara dik-dik is usually spotted in pairs. Dusk and dawn is the best time for spotting lion, leopard and cheetah. Some of the less common predators are honey badger and bat-eared fox. Black rhino is a real treat in the park, best spotted at night at one of the floodlit waterholes.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Etosha can be visited throughout the year, although all the guaranteed action happens during the Dry season (May to October). At this time, water supplies are restricted to a few waterholes and the grass is short, which makes wildlife viewing very easy. Animals disperse during the Wet season (November to April), although in years of low rainfall, these months can be excellent for spotting animals.