Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Anthony is the author of the Botswana & Namibia Lonely Planet guide.

Big, migrating herds of Burchell's zebra and blue wildebeest move through Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Other herbivores following the migration are oryx, eland and red hartebeest. There are good numbers of predators as well. Both spotted and brown hyena can be seen. Leopard are quite common in the riverine forest and lion can sometimes be seen hunting zebra.

ElephantOccasional

GiraffeCommon

HippoRare

BuffaloNone

ZebraAbundant

WildebeestAbundant

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardOccasional

CheetahRare

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogVery Rare

Wildlife Highlights

Springbok and oryx are particularly well adapted to the arid environment of the pans, and they can often be spotted here, even when there isn't much else around. Some predators that lurk around the fringes of the pan and can be found at dusk are aardwolf, bat-eared fox and striped polecat.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Makgadikgadi Pans has very seasonal wildlife viewing. The actual pans attract wildlife in the wet summer months, from December to about May. However, most of the park and the lodges are concentrated around the Boteti River area, which is best for wildlife viewing in the Dry season, from June to December. The Dry season is best for seeing the pans as you can actually drive on them.