Khwai Concession

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

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

The Khwai Concession (which encompasses the NG18 and NG19 concessions) has so much of the wildlife that makes the Okavango Delta one of the best places to see animals in southern Africa. Commonly sighted animals include elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and hippo. It’s also possible to see both lion and leopard.

ElephantAbundant

GiraffeCommon

HippoAbundant

BuffaloCommon

ZebraCommon

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardOccasional

CheetahRare

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogOccasional

Wildlife Highlights

In addition to elephants, big cats and other popular species, Khwai is an excellent place to see swamp-adapted wildlife such as the red lechwe. Watching herds of lechwe run through water with morning mist rising from the surface can be a highlight. Khwai is also one of the best places in northern Botswana to see roaming packs of wild dog. They’re most easily observed while denning.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The best time to visit Khwai is during the Dry season (April to October), particularly from May onward when water levels (and animal numbers) are at their highest. This is also the busiest time of year. During the Wet season (November to March), rain is possible and getting around may be more difficult. But there are plenty of birds as this is when the migratory species from Europe and North Africa are present in the area.