Hwange National Park
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
🐘 Elephant Herds at Hwange's WaterholesHwange National Park sits in western Zimbabwe, spanning a vast tropical savanna of open grasslands, acacia scrub, and teak woodlands. This protected region differs from neighboring reserves through its reliance on pumped boreholes and artificial waterholes that sustain wildlife across wide, arid terrain.
-19.054° S 26.517° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
★ 
Lion
Panthera leo
★ 
Painted Hunting Dog
Lycaon pictus
★ 
Sable Antelope
Hippotragus niger
📊 Most Spotted
Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiaca
Southern Giraffe
Giraffa giraffa
Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Tockus leucomelas
Helmeted Guineafowl
Numida meleagris
Magpie Shrike
Urolestes melanoleucus
African Grey Hornbill
Lophoceros nasutus
⭐ Iconic Species
★ African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
★ Lion
Panthera leo
★ Painted Hunting Dog
Lycaon pictus
★ Sable Antelope
Hippotragus niger
📊 Most Spotted
Southern Giraffe
Giraffa giraffa
Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Chacma Baboon
Papio ursinus
Steenbok
Raphicerus campestris
Blue Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
Smith's Bush Squirrel
Paraxerus cepapi
Common Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
Common Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
Roan Antelope
Hippotragus equinus
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
📊 Most Spotted
Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiaca
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Tockus leucomelas
Helmeted Guineafowl
Numida meleagris
Magpie Shrike
Urolestes melanoleucus
African Grey Hornbill
Lophoceros nasutus
Arrow-marked Babbler
Turdoides jardineii
Southern Red-billed Hornbill
Tockus rufirostris
📊 Most Spotted
Wahlberg’s Striped Skink
Trachylepis wahlbergii
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
Leopard Tortoise
Stigmochelys pardalis
Chobe Dwarf Gecko
Lygodactylus chobiensis
Rainbow Skink
Trachylepis margaritifera
Common Giant Plated Lizard
Matobosaurus validus
Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus
Fischer's Thick-toed Gecko
Chondrodactylus laevigatus
Flap-necked Chameleon
Chamaeleo dilepis
Serrated Hinged Terrapin
Pelusios sinuatus
Tropical House Gecko
Hemidactylus mabouia
Southern Tree Agama
Acanthocercus atricollis
📊 Most Spotted
Grey Foam-nest Treefrog
Chiromantis xerampelina
Senegal Kassina
Kassina senegalensis
Shovel-nosed Frog
Hemisus marmoratus
Edible bullfrog
Pyxicephalus edulis
Garman's Toad
Sclerophrys garmani
Mozambique ridged frog
Ptychadena mossambica
Ornate frog
Hildebrandtia ornata
Natal Puddle Frog
Phrynobatrachus natalensis
Margined Reed Frog
Hyperolius marginatus
Mababe puddle frog
Phrynobatrachus mababiensis
Knocking sand frog
Tomopterna krugerensis
African Split-skin Toad
Schismaderma carens
Recent sightings in Hwange National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
2African Wild Dog Denning & Tracking
The dry winter months coincide with the wild dogs' denning period, making packs more localized and easier to track across the Kalahari sands.
1Peak Dry Season Waterhole Gatherings
As natural water sources dry up, enormous concentrations of wildlife converge on artificial pumped waterholes, creating unparalleled game-viewing spectacles.
3Intense Predator Activity at Dera Pans
The lush growth following early rains attracts various ungulates with newborn young, sharply elevating ambush predator activity in the bush.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Peak Dry Season Waterhole Gatherings
- 2African Wild Dog Denning & Tracking
- 3Intense Predator Activity at Dera Pans
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Our final spot of the game drive was a group of Sable, a new antelope for the list that looks like it is dressed for Cinco de Mayo with a skull painted in white on its otherwise black body.
Over the course of the few days we spent in Hwange this time around we saw a sable antelope, several buffaloes, a rare side-striped jackal, giraffes, impalas and a multitude of bird species come to the water.
We must have seen over 200-300 hundred or more elephants, including multipe family units of 5-25 individuals with young of all ages, and plenty of bachelors in small groups.
It wasn’t long before we encountered large herds of elephants (something Hwange is renowned for) congregating around a pumped waterhole and also spotted lion, hyena, giraffe and the tail end of a leopard as it slunk into the tall grass.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Hwange National Park?
The most likely sightings are African Bush Elephant (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Lilac-breasted Roller (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Cape Turtle Dove (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Blacksmith Lapwing (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Fork-tailed Drongo (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 988 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Hwange National Park for wildlife?
July 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 Hwange National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a African Bush Elephant sighting in Hwange National Park, based on 151 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Lion in Hwange National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Lion sighting in Hwange National Park, based on 65 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Painted Hunting Dog in Hwange National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Hunting Dog sighting in Hwange National Park, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Sable Antelope in Hwange National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Sable Antelope sighting in Hwange National Park, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
