Moremi Game Reserve
🇧🇼 Botswana
🦁 Lion Pride Roams Moremi's FloodplainsMoremi Game Reserve sits in Botswana as a protected wetland sanctuary, covering permanent rivers, shallow floodplains, and dense reed beds. This lush aquatic terrain differs from dry surrounding reserves by relying on seasonal floodwaters that submerge grassy floodplains and feed winding channels.
-19.371° S 23.444° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
★ 
Lion
Panthera leo
★ 
Southern Giraffe
Giraffa giraffa
★ 
Common Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
📊 Most Spotted
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus
African Jacana
Actophilornis africanus
Burchell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis australis
African Fish-Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
Red-billed Francolin
Pternistis adspersus
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Lechwe
Kobus leche
Southern Red-billed Hornbill
Tockus rufirostris
Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
⭐ Iconic Species
★ African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
★ Lion
Panthera leo
★ Southern Giraffe
Giraffa giraffa
★ Common Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
📊 Most Spotted
Lechwe
Kobus leche
Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Tsessebe
Damaliscus lunatus
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Common Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
Blue Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
Smith's Bush Squirrel
Paraxerus cepapi
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
Painted Hunting Dog
Lycaon pictus
📊 Most Spotted
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus
African Jacana
Actophilornis africanus
Burchell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis australis
African Fish-Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
Red-billed Francolin
Pternistis adspersus
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Southern Red-billed Hornbill
Tockus rufirostris
Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
Red-eyed Dove
Streptopelia semitorquata
📊 Most Spotted
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
Wahlberg’s Striped Skink
Trachylepis wahlbergii
Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus
Leopard Tortoise
Stigmochelys pardalis
Flap-necked Chameleon
Chamaeleo dilepis
Southern African Python
Python natalensis
Fischer's Thick-toed Gecko
Chondrodactylus laevigatus
Rock Monitor
Varanus albigularis
Stripe-bellied Sand Snake
Psammophis subtaeniatus
Helmeted Turtle
Pelomedusa subrufa
Puff Adder
Bitis arietans
Spotted Bush Snake
Philothamnus semivariegatus
📊 Most Spotted
Angolan Reed Frog
Hyperolius parallelus
Red-Banded Rubber Frog
Phrynomantis bifasciatus
Grey Foam-nest Treefrog
Chiromantis xerampelina
Edible bullfrog
Pyxicephalus edulis
Nile Ridged Frog
Ptychadena nilotica
Giant bullfrog
Pyxicephalus adspersus
Spotted ridged frog
Ptychadena subpunctata
Guinea Snout-burrower
Hemisus guineensis
Mozambique ridged frog
Ptychadena mossambica
Painted Reed Frog
Hyperolius marmoratus
Power's Toad
Sclerophrys poweri
African Clawed Frog
Xenopus laevis
Recent sightings in Moremi Game Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Okavango Delta Floods Peak
The annual floodwaters from Angola transform Moremi into a vibrant wetland, drawing massive herds of lechwe and elephants to graze on newly sprouted grasses, while hippos wallow in flooded pans.
2Lion Prides on the Prowl
During the dry season, lions congregate near water sources, forming large prides that hunt cooperatively. Their roars echo across the floodplains at dawn and dusk, a spine-tingling hallmark of Moremi's wild character.
3Birding Extravaganza: African Hoopoe Flocks
Moremi's skies come alive with the striking black-and-white plumage of Upupa africana (African Hoopoe) during seasonal migrations. Their distinctive 'hoo-hoo-hoo' calls fill the air as they forage for insects in open woodlands and floodplains.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Okavango Delta Floods Peak
- 2Lion Prides on the Prowl
- 3Birding Extravaganza: African Hoopoe Flocks
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Adult zebra with juvenile In the drylands we saw plent of zebra, wildebeest, ostrich, ground game birds (spurfowl, francolin, sandgrouse, and guineafowl), and kori bustards.
We saw our first-ever sightings of cheetahs and black-maned lions, and we watched on, astounded, as a reckless tourist walked 50 metres in the dark to the showers while a leopard roared (about 20 or so metres away), and hippos were close by.
This channel has been dry for 18 years but will occasionally reflood. - Watched two male lions (2 1/2 years old) guard their elephant carcass - Saw a family of lions and lionesses with eight cubs - Listened to our tour guide, Sam, share his passion for Savtui.
We saw: - Red lechwe bounding through shallow water - Warthogs kneeling to graze at the water’s edge - Tsessebe, alert and skittish in the open - Giraffes browsing the high canopies - Elephants everywhere—crossing roads, feeding in thickets, or bathing in shallow pools Birdlife was also spectacular.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Moremi Game Reserve?
The most likely sightings are Blacksmith Lapwing (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Lilac-breasted Roller (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), African Bush Elephant (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), African Jacana (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Burchell's Glossy-starling (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 878 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Moremi Game Reserve for wildlife?
December 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 Moremi Game Reserve?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a African Bush Elephant sighting in Moremi Game Reserve, based on 283 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Lion in Moremi Game Reserve?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Lion sighting in Moremi Game Reserve, based on 233 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Southern Giraffe in Moremi Game Reserve?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Giraffe sighting in Moremi Game Reserve, based on 214 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Common Hippopotamus in Moremi Game Reserve?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hippopotamus sighting in Moremi Game Reserve, based on 188 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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