Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
🇿🇦 South Africa
🦁 Lion Roams Kgalagadi's Vast DunesKgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a desert and dry‑scrub reserve that straddles the border of South Africa and Botswana. The landscape is a mosaic of red sand dunes, sparse grasslands and occasional rocky outcrops, offering open horizons that contrast sharply with nearby savanna parks.
-25.746° S 20.335° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Social Weaver
Philetairus socius
Pale Chanting Goshawk
Melierax canorus
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
Crimson-breasted Gonolek
Laniarius atrococcineus
Mariqua Flycatcher
Bradornis mariquensis
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Scaly Weaver
Sporopipes squamifrons
Kori Bustard
Ardeotis kori
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Blue Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
Springbok
Antidorcas marsupialis
Cape Ground Squirrel
Xerus inauris
Yellow Mongoose
Cynictis penicillata
Steenbok
Raphicerus campestris
Khama
Alcelaphus caama
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Slender-tailed Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
Southern Giraffe
Giraffa giraffa
Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse
Rhabdomys pumilio
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Bat-eared Fox
Otocyon megalotis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Social Weaver
Philetairus socius
Pale Chanting Goshawk
Melierax canorus
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
Crimson-breasted Gonolek
Laniarius atrococcineus
Mariqua Flycatcher
Bradornis mariquensis
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Scaly Weaver
Sporopipes squamifrons
Kori Bustard
Ardeotis kori
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
📊 Most Spotted
Karasburg Tree Skink
Trachylepis sparsa
Ground Agama
Agama aculeata
Leopard Tortoise
Stigmochelys pardalis
Cape Cobra
Naja nivea
Bibron's Thick-toed Gecko
Chondrodactylus bibronii
Mole Snake
Pseudaspis cana
Puff Adder
Bitis arietans
Common Barking Gecko
Ptenopus garrulus
Western three-striped skink
Trachylepis occidentalis
Spotted Sand Lizard
Pedioplanis lineoocellata
Namaqua Sand Lizard
Pedioplanis namaquensis
Kalahari Tree Skink
Trachylepis spilogaster
Recent sightings in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Lion Pride Activity
Male lions with distinctive black manes patrol territories and display roaring contests during the dry season.
2Gemsbok Rut
Gemsbok engage in intense rutting battles, making males conspicuous as they clash for breeding rights.
3White-backed Vulture Roosting
Large roosts of white-backed vultures gather on cliffs to feed on carrion during the late dry season.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Lion Pride Activity
- 2Gemsbok Rut
- 3White-backed Vulture Roosting
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Another amazing encounter was when we spotted some Cheetah which were patiently watching Springbok grazing nearby.
So far, in our brief visit, we managed to see lions, cheetahs and African wild cats on multiple occasions, and on one morning we saw both bat-eared fox and the elusive cape fox, and of course black-back jackals everywhere!
Later in the trip we would see quite a few juvenile Black-winged Kites which I think are more attractive than the adult – as is with Pale Chanting Goshawks.
Their presence is crucial for the park’s predators, such as lions and cheetahs. - Spotted Hyena : The elusive hyena can be found across the African but sadly we never saw one.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Kgalagadi Transfrontier 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), White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Common Ostrich (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Social Weaver (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 629 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park for wildlife?
September 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 Lion in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Lion sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, based on 207 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Gemsbok in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Gemsbok sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, based on 257 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Common Ostrich in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Common Ostrich sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, based on 461 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
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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