Etosha National Park
🇳🇦 Namibia
🐘 Elephants Gather at WaterholesEtosha National Park is a wildlife reserve in northern Namibia featuring an open tropical savanna landscape dominated by sparse acacia scrub and a massive salt pan. Visitors travel along flat gravel tracks that wind through wide plains and around natural water sources.
-18.965° S 16.568° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
★ 
Lion
Panthera leo
★ 
Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis
★ 
Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
📊 Most Spotted
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Southern Giraffe
Giraffa giraffa
Springbok
Antidorcas marsupialis
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
Blue Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Gemsbok
Oryx gazella
African Red-eyed Bulbul
Pycnonotus nigricans
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Tockus leucomelas
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
⭐ Iconic Species
★ African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
★ Lion
Panthera leo
★ Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis
★ Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
📊 Most Spotted
Southern Giraffe
Giraffa giraffa
Springbok
Antidorcas marsupialis
Blue Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Gemsbok
Oryx gazella
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Khama
Alcelaphus caama
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
Banded Mongoose
Mungos mungo
Cape Ground Squirrel
Xerus inauris
Smith's Bush Squirrel
Paraxerus cepapi
Steenbok
Raphicerus campestris
📊 Most Spotted
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
African Red-eyed Bulbul
Pycnonotus nigricans
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Tockus leucomelas
Kori Bustard
Ardeotis kori
Common Ostrich
Struthio camelus
Grey Go-Away-Bird
Corythaixoides concolor
Helmeted Guineafowl
Numida meleagris
Pale Chanting Goshawk
Melierax canorus
LADO
Spilopelia senegalensis
📊 Most Spotted
Kalahari Tree Skink
Trachylepis spilogaster
Helmeted Turtle
Pelomedusa subrufa
Ground Agama
Agama aculeata
Fischer's Thick-toed Gecko
Chondrodactylus laevigatus
Bocage's Mabuya
Trachylepis binotata
Leopard Tortoise
Stigmochelys pardalis
Rock Monitor
Varanus albigularis
Wahlberg’s Striped Skink
Trachylepis wahlbergii
Western Rock Skink
Trachylepis sulcata
Namib Rock Agama
Agama planiceps
Bradfield's Dwarf Gecko
Lygodactylus bradfieldi
Etosha Agama
Agama etoshae
Recent sightings in Etosha National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Elephant waterhole congregation
During the dry season, elephants gather in large numbers at Etosha's permanent waterholes, creating dramatic sightings.
2Lion pride breeding peak
Lion mating peaks in November, leading to increased pride activity and roaring displays across the park.
3Cheetah cub rearing season
Cheetah mothers raise their cubs during the cooler months, making them more visible as they teach hunting skills.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Elephant waterhole congregation
- 2Lion pride breeding peak
- 3Cheetah cub rearing season
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
We saw towers of giraffe – Southern giraffes, differently marked from those in Kenya and Tanzania, dazzles of zebra and herds of springbok and impala as well as ostriches, kudu, oryx and, in the whole three days just two elephants.
We spent three days looking for the leopard but only saw gemsbok, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, flamingos, and various antelope species.
Etosha National Park vs Kruger National Park In both parks, we’ve seen incredible sightings, but the abundance in Etosha was way more impressive as sometimes you’ll see elephants, giraffes, zebras, and even rhinos drinking at the same waterhole.
We could see endless numbers of giraffes, wildebeest, herds of elephants, at our own pace, without battling for a spot or scaring the animals away (we bought binoculars at Windhoek) Etosha salt pan lookout near Halali was especially other-worldly.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Etosha National Park?
The most likely sightings are Fork-tailed Drongo (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Cape Turtle Dove (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Plains Zebra (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Blacksmith Lapwing (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), African Bush Elephant (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 933 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Etosha National Park for wildlife?
November has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see African Bush Elephant in Etosha National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a African Bush Elephant sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 581 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Lion in Etosha National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Lion sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 363 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Black Rhinoceros in Etosha National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Black Rhinoceros sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 349 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Plains Zebra in Etosha National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Plains Zebra sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 722 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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