Kwando Concession

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

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

Big herds of elephant are attracted to the permanent water of the Kwando Concession’s namesake river in the Dry season. Lion, leopard and spotted hyena are often seen, and the endangered wild dog is sometimes spotted as well. The handsome, water-loving red lechwe is abundant, while less common antelope species include the hard-to-see roan and sable antelope.

ElephantAbundant

GiraffeCommon

HippoAbundant

BuffaloAbundant

ZebraAbundant

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardOccasional

CheetahRare

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogOccasional

Wildlife Highlights

The Kwando River teems with hippo and crocodile, and spotted-necked otter are often observed as well. The concession is also considered a good place to see big cats (although you need to be lucky to see cheetah) and wild dogs. Night drives are part of the program in Kwando, and some of the species that might be seen are springhare, bush baby, Selous' mongoose, genet, porcupine and, if you’re fortunate, aardwolf.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Big herds of elephant, buffalo, zebra and wildebeest arrive when the landscape begins to dry out in June. At such times, predators are also never far away. As the Dry season (April to October) progresses and other water sources disappear, more of these animals are drawn to the year-round Kwando River. Many animals stay at least until October, and sometimes until December. The best months for birding are from November to April.