Zambezi National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is our Zimbabwe expert and author of more than 20 guidebooks to Africa.

A wide variety of animals, including giraffe, lion and leopard, have access to Zambezi National Park from surrounding areas. Elephant and buffalo are common on the banks of the Zambezi River, which teems with hippo and crocodile. The park also has a good number of antelopes, including waterbuck and bushbuck.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeCommon

HippoCommon

BuffaloCommon

ZebraOccasional

WildebeestOccasional

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardRare

CheetahRare

HyenaCommon

Wild DogVery Rare

Wildlife Highlights

Numerous hippos bask in the Zambezi River and elephants can sometimes be seen crossing between the riverbanks and islands. Troops of chacma baboon often sit in riverside palm trees, while male greater kudus show off their impressive horns and colonies of banded mongoose scurry around the undergrowth. Chamabonda Vlei is a good place to look for lion, giraffe, zebra and the majestic sable antelope and eland.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

From June to October, during the middle and end of the Dry season, is the best time for wildlife viewing in the park. Wildlife is easier to spot then because vegetation is thinner and animals gather around the Zambezi River.