Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

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

For a largely desert environment, Central Kalahari Game Reserve has surprisingly good wildlife viewing. All three of the big cats are spotted on a reasonably regular basis, including the notoriously black-maned Kalahari lion. Wildebeest, gemsbok and springbok can be seen year-round, but especially at the water-filled pans in Deception Valley after the rains. Steenbok, giraffe and greater kudu can be found in smaller numbers.

ElephantNone

GiraffeOccasional

HippoNone

BuffaloNone

ZebraRare

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardOccasional

CheetahOccasional

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogRare

Wildlife Highlights

Dawn and dusk are the best times to spot hyenas returning to, or leaving, their dens. Spotted hyena are present, but the less common brown hyena is quite easy to find as well, especially around dusk. Of the real desert specials, you might often see bat-eared fox and honey badger, while aardwolf and caracal are hard to see but possible.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The best time for seeing wildlife in Central Kalahari is generally during the wet months, from December to March, when animals gather around the pans in Deception Valley. However, some of the roads can be in poor condition at this time. April and May can be better months in this regard. Late in the Dry season (April to October), animals often gather around the waterholes at Xaxa, Letiahau, Sunday Pan and Passarge Valley.