Khutse Game Reserve
Wildlife & Animals
Botswana Parks
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the Botswana & Namibia guide.
Khutse Game Reserve is not a prime wildlife destination, but all animals present in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve can be found here. Oryx and springbok are quite common. Other antelope that might be encountered are greater kudu, hartebeest and steenbok. Wildebeest and giraffe are present as well. Of the big cats, lion is most common.
Wildlife Highlights
The rare and very shy brown hyena can sometimes be seen at dawn or dusk. Of the smaller predators, suricate and yellow mongoose are quite common, and bat-eared fox are easily spotted when they are denning. There have been occasional cheetah sightings in the reserve as well.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
The best time for wildlife viewing in Khutse is in the wet months, from December to March, when animals gather around the pans. Some of the roads can become difficult to navigate during this time. The park authorities sometimes pump water from boreholes into two of the pans to attract wildlife in the Dry season as well.
