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An elephant drinking in the Okavango Delta, with a mokoro on the water behind
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

Safari · Botswana

Okavango Delta and Moremi Animal Checklist

The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana is a huge inland delta of lagoons, papyrus channels and palm islands, with Moremi Game Reserve at its heart. It is one of Africa's strongholds for African wild dogs, and famous for lions, leopards, elephants and red lechwe. This checklist covers 87 animals. The flood peaks from June to August, the best time for game.

The delta floods in the dry season: rain that falls in the Angolan highlands early in the year arrives months later. Most of the delta is private concessions reached by light aircraft, while Moremi can be visited on a self-drive trip.

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See all 87 animals
The Okavango checklist in the Wilder app, started as a trip with the first animals ticked
Animals to find
87
Where
Botswana
Best time
Jun to Oct
Big Five
Four (rhino rare)

Big cats, wild dogs and delta specials

  • African Wild Dog, one of the animals to look for in Okavango

    African Wild Dog

    The delta is one of the best places in Africa for wild dogs. Packs den around June and July and are easily disturbed then, so the best sightings are of dogs out hunting at dawn and dusk.

    Photo: Lip Kee, CC BY-SA 2.0

  • Lion, one of the animals to look for in Okavango

    Lion

    Delta lions are used to water and swim between islands. Duba Plains and Chief's Island are famous for large prides that hunt buffalo.

    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Leopard, one of the animals to look for in Okavango

    Leopard

    Common in the riverine woodland of Moremi and the Khwai area. Look in sausage trees and jackalberries along the channels at dawn and dusk.

    Photo: Leonemanuel, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • African Savanna Elephant

    Northern Botswana has one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. Herds wade and swim through the channels, especially when the flood is high.

  • Cape Buffalo

    Herds of hundreds graze the floodplains, and the lions follow them. The open plains near Chief's Island and Duba are reliable.

  • Red Lechwe

    The antelope of the delta, splashing across the floodplains on long, splayed hooves. You will see them almost everywhere there is shallow water.

  • Sitatunga

    A shy swamp antelope that lives deep in the papyrus. Your best chance is a quiet boat trip in the permanent channels of the northern delta.

  • Pel's Fishing Owl

    The delta's star bird, a huge ginger owl that roosts in big riverside trees by day. Guides along the Panhandle and the permanent channels know where to look, and a good one keeps the visit short and quiet.

  • Painted Reed Frog

    Tiny, bright and loud. You hear them at dusk and find them clinging to reeds from a mokoro.

All 87 animals to spot in the Okavango

Grouped the way you'll meet them. Tips show where to look.

The Big Five 4

Grazers and browsers 16

Hunters 9

Smaller mammals 8

Water birds 18

Birds of prey 10

Land birds 18

Reptiles and amphibians 4

  • Last reviewed September 2026.
  • Sources are listed below the questions.
  • Wild animals only. Please give them space.

Best time to see wildlife in the Okavango

The Okavango works in reverse. Rain falls in Angola from about November to March, and the flood water takes months to travel down, so the delta is fullest from about June to August, which is also Botswana's dry season. Animals from the dry land around the delta crowd onto the islands and floodplains, and mokoro trips are at their best. September and October are the hottest months, with game packed around water and the best predator viewing, though some channels start to shrink. The local rains fall from about November to March. This green season is quieter and cheaper, with newborn antelope, migrant birds such as the Southern Carmine Bee-eater, and dramatic storms, but game is more spread out and some areas are hard to reach.

  • Jan-MarGreen season; birds, newborns, storms, lower prices
  • Apr-MayRains ending; the flood starts to arrive in the delta
  • Jun-AugFlood at its peak; cool dry days, wild dogs denning
  • Sep-OctHot and dry; big game concentrated, top predator action
  • Nov-DecFirst rains; lechwe and impala lambs, carmine bee-eaters

Tips for spotting wildlife in the Okavango

  1. Mix water and land

    The delta is best seen three ways: by mokoro for the small life, by motorboat for fish eagles and hippos, and by game drive for predators. Choose camps that offer both water and land activities.

  2. Choose Khwai or a concession for night drives

    Inside Moremi Game Reserve, drives must stay on roads and end by dark. The Khwai community area and the private concessions allow night drives and guided walks, with fewer vehicles at each sighting.

  3. Leave denning dogs in peace

    Wild dogs den from about June to August, and disturbance can make a pack move its pups. Choose camps that limit visits to dens, and enjoy the dogs when they head out to hunt.

  4. Scan the lily pads

    On a mokoro, watch for African jacanas walking on the lilies and African pygmy geese among them. Painted reed frogs cling to papyrus stems at eye level.

  5. Give hippos a wide berth

    Mokoro polers avoid deep channels where hippos rest. Stay seated, keep quiet and follow your poler's lead if they change course.

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The Okavango checklist in the Wilder app, started as a trip with the first animals ticked

Okavango wildlife FAQ

What animals can you see in the Okavango Delta?

You can see elephants, lions, leopards, wild dogs, buffalo, hippos, giraffes, zebras and water-loving antelope such as red lechwe and sitatunga in the Okavango Delta. It also has more than 450 bird species, including the Pel's fishing owl. This checklist covers 87 animals. Big game is easiest to see from June to October, when the flood is high and the land is dry.

Can you see the Big Five in the Okavango Delta?

Yes, but the rhino is the hard one. Lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo are seen on most trips. White and black rhinos have been reintroduced to parts of the delta and Moremi, but they are few and their locations are kept quiet. Most visitors see four of the Big Five and count a rhino as a rare bonus.

When is the best time to visit the Okavango Delta?

The best time to visit the Okavango Delta for game is June to October, when the flood is high but the weather is dry. July and August have cool nights and full channels for mokoro trips, while September and October are hotter with top predator viewing. November to March is the green season, best for birds, newborn animals and lower prices.

What can you see on a mokoro trip?

On a mokoro trip you mainly see the small life of the delta: painted reed frogs, African jacanas, African pygmy geese, kingfishers and dragonflies among the lilies. You may also see red lechwe, elephants and hippos from a safe distance. A mokoro is a traditional dugout canoe (now often fibreglass) poled by a local guide, and it is quiet enough to watch shy birds without disturbing them.

Sources

Last reviewed September 2026

Photo credits

All photo credits. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, resized.

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