Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is author of ‘The Rough Guide to Game Parks of South Africa’.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a favorite with repeat visitors. The stark desert environment and great predator sightings make for outstanding photographic opportunities. It might, however, not be the best destination for a first-time safari. It only has two of the Big Five: leopard and lion. The desert-adapted springbok and gemsbok are the main antelope species.

ElephantNone

GiraffeRare

HippoNone

BuffaloNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionCommon

LeopardOccasional

CheetahCommon

HyenaCommon

Wild DogRare

Wildlife Highlights

Kgalagadi is famous for its big, black-maned Kalahari lions. Cute ground squirrels pop in and out of their burrows in the rest camps, and the nocturnal springhare is another animal that thrives in the sandy environment. The big cats are quite easily seen. Bat-eared fox and brown hyena are two of the smaller predators you might see, and very lucky visitors might come across the elusive pangolin.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The best time for wildlife viewing in Kgalagadi is toward the end of the Wet season, roughly from March to May, when animals gather in the riverbeds. However, many might prefer the cooler winter months of May to September and, as a rule, wildlife viewing is good throughout the year. The summer months from October to April are very hot.