Zambezi Region (Caprivi Strip)

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

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

Although sometimes harder to spot than in the drier parks of Namibia, there is a great deal of wildlife in the Zambezi Region (formerly Caprivi Strip). Animals are attracted to the lush vegetation and permanent water sources. Buffalo and elephant are plentiful, and there are lots of predators. There are no rhinos, but other animals to look out for include giraffe, zebra and wildebeest.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeCommon

HippoAbundant

BuffaloOccasional

ZebraCommon

WildebeestOccasional

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardVery Rare

CheetahVery Rare

HyenaRare

Wild DogVery Rare

Wildlife Highlights

The Zambezi Region has some magnificent permanent marshes and is flooded for part of the year. This creates a perfect habitat for water-loving animals, which are scarce in the rest of the country. Hippos and crocodiles are abundant in the rivers. Antelope, such as waterbuck, red lechwe and the rare semi-aquatic sitatunga, thrive in the marshes. Bwabwata National Park also has roan and sable antelope. There is plenty of food for the growing population of resident lions.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife viewing in the Zambezi Region is best during the cooler, dry months from May to September. In the Wet season (November to April), animals disperse and the vegetation tends to be very thick, which makes spotting animals harder. The roads can also become impassable at this time.