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If you are heading to Namibia for a safari, you are probably eager to see the extraordinary world of African wildlife, including the Big Five: elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions, and rhinos. But where can you see the Big Five in Namibia? Here are my tips for the best safari experience.
The Desert Land and the Big Five
First things first: Yes, you can in fact see the Big Five in Namibia. Elephants, rhinos, leopards, lions, and buffaloes can all be found here. However, you will need to travel to different regions and national parks to see them all. There is not a single place in Namibia where you can see all Big Five animals at once. For instance, buffaloes are not found in the world-famous Etosha National Park.
Most of Namibia’s landscape and vegetation is desert or desert-like; however, buffaloes are typically limited to areas with abundant water, such as in the far northeast, from Divundu deep into the Zambezi Strip. Rhinos yet again don’t currently inhabit this area. White rhinos, which prefer grassy savannas, find this region too wet and dense with vegetation. The black rhino, a browser and bush lover, could live here but hasn’t been reintroduced. Therefore, there is no national or private reserve in Namibia where you can see all five of the Big Five at once.
But this doesn’t make wildlife encounters any less exciting. The good news is, firstly, Namibia does have all representatives of the Big Five. Secondly, the unique desert elephants and desert lions give Namibia a distinctive feature in Africa. And thirdly, the variety of species living in proximity to the Big Five and their distribution in different landscapes is simply breathtaking. So, where can you see the Big Five in Namibia? Here are five tips.
Where can you see the Big Five in Namibia – Three out of five in Waterberg National Park
Namibia’s most famous table mountain is just a lion’s leap from the capital, Windhoek. The ‘Waterberg’ rises about 200 meters above the plains. In the vast emptiness of its surroundings, the proportions quickly get misconstrued, making the mountain appear smaller than it is. Its name is apt: it provides water in the desert-like surroundings of the western Kalahari fringe. Although Waterberg gained sad notoriety due to a battle fought here between Germans and Hereros, it now symbolises calm and relaxation.
The national park offers easy hikes, great views, and on the plateau, a wildlife reserve. While there are no lions or elephants in the Waterberg area, three of the Big Five do reside here: buffaloes, rhinos, and leopards. You can only explore the plateau as part of a tour by the park authority; it is not possible to do a self-drive tour here. A guide significantly increases your chances of spotting wildlife, despite the dense bushland. You might also see Namibia’s only breeding colony of Cape vultures, elands, roan and sable antelopes, tsessebes, kudus, impalas, buffaloes, warthogs, or giraffes, and possibly even cheetahs, lynxes, and jackals.
Where can you see the Big Five in Namibia? Three out of five in Khaudum National Park
Located in the northern Kalahari, Khaudum National Park is one of the wildest corners of the country. If you are up for adventure and undeterred by difficult access conditions, this is the place for you. A 4WD / 4×4 is essential. A roughly 300 km long network of tracks leads you over thick, soft sand fields through bush and acacia forests and dry river valleys, past orange-red Kalahari dunes and impressive baobab trees.
You will see more animals than people here. However, given the park’s size and few roads, spotting them can be challenging. During the dry season, elephants migrate through the area, ravaging vegetation and digging shallow wells in the peaty soils of dried-up rivers, using their multifunctional trunks to suck up water.
Although Khaudum National Park hosts only three of the Big Five – elephants, lions, and leopards – it is a sanctuary where you have the chance to see African wild hunting dogs, roan antelopes, and tsessebes, a type of lechwe. Giraffes, elands, wildebeests, hartebeests, kudus, gemsboks, steenboks, duikers, bat-eared foxes, hyenas, jackals, warthogs, green monkeys, ostriches, and aardvarks also call this place home. There are no rhinos and no buffaloes in Khaudum National Park.
Two of our favourite safaris with a chance to see the Big Five:
Marvels of Southern Africa
Places Windhoek, Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Damaraland, Etosha National Park, Zambezi Region, Chobe National Park, Victoria Falls
from getting current exchange rate… per person sharing
A Namibian Journey
Places Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Skeleton Coast, Damaraland, Etosha National Park, Waterberg Area
from getting current exchange rate… (based on 6 persons)
Where can you see the Big Five in Namibia – Four out of five in Bwabwata National Park
Bwabwata National Park is a unique gem in Namibia. Despite its national park status, which signifies the highest level of nature and wildlife protection, the country aims for peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife here. This is not without conflicts, but the win-win situation protects the animals while allowing people to live in their traditional areas. Sustainable protection of native flora and fauna secures their livelihood. This way, they can economically benefit from tourism within the park. They watch over crocodiles, hippos, zebras, various antelope species, rich birdlife, and four of the Big Five: lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes. In Bwabwata National Park, only rhinos are missing from the Big Five.
To regulate this coexistence, the park has three core areas specifically for wildlife and nature conservation: the Mahango Core Area and Buffalo Core Area in the west and the Kwando Core Area in the east. Simultaneously, a multiple-use area allows humans and animals to share living spaces, enabling elephants to migrate between Angola and Botswana.
Four out of five in Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park is not only one of Africa’s most popular tourist destinations but also Namibia’s top safari spot. It’s easily accessible from all directions and has all the necessary infrastructure for a pleasant stay. Most importantly, it offers the highest concentration of Namibia’s wildlife. You can see lions, elephants, leopards and rhinos in Etosha National Park. Of the Big Five, only buffaloes are missing. The park’s lions, therefore, don’t know how buffalo tastes. But they know their own presence is always a spectacle for visitors. Along with leopards, rhinos, elephants, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, antelopes, hyenas, and many more, they put on a show, especially during the driest months when animals gather at easily accessible waterholes.
Another special feature of the park is the floodlit waterholes in the camps. Here, you can watch animals all night long. Elephants drop by for a nightcap, rhinos gather, leopards have their appetizer before their night shift, and lions are there even when they’re not there. The atmosphere is thrillingly eerie.
Four very special ones of the Big Five – from Hoanib to the Namib
In western Namibia, the Namib Desert meets the sea. Several dry rivers make their way here, spanning from the Brandberg area up to the small desert town of Puros, creating a vast habitat for free-ranging wildlife. Highly recommended is the area around the Hoanib River. The desert elephants and desert lions, living under harsh conditions, have created a habitat for themselves despite daily challenges. While Etosha lions enjoy an abundance of zebras, wildebeests, and other antelopes, desert lions need to be open to a more flexible diet. Sometimes they cross the Namib Desert to the coast to hunt seals. Naturally, they also take the opportunity for a beach day at the Atlantic Ocean.
Desert elephants don’t venture as close to the coast as desert lions do. But they too need the right balance of edible vegetation and drinkable water, traveling far more miles than their Etosha counterparts. Leopards and black rhinos join them on the eastern Namibrand. They can roam freely here, outside national parks or other protected areas. Needless to say, this unique wilderness is also home to giraffes, zebras, oryxes, kudus, springboks, hyenas, and jackals. There are no buffaloes in this area as it is much to dry for them to survive.
There are different places where you can see the Big Five in Namibia. You just need to include more than one stop on your trip to see them all. We’re here to answer any questions and help plan your Big Five safari in Namibia, whether on a guided tour or a self-drive adventure. As local tour operators, we always know the current situation. So, get in touch!
Author: Juan Proll
