What are the rare animals that reflect the incredible beauty of Botswana’s Wildlife?

The African Continent is an abode for a varied species of animals and Botswana is no exception. Home to animals ranging from ‘The Big Five’ to rare animals like ‘The Black Rhinoceros’ and ‘The African Buffalo’. Botswana is a hotspot for tourists venturing to look for the atypical in the diverse and broad area of Botswana, and experience Botswana’s Wildlife to the fullest.

Undertaking a task like exploring rare animals in Botswana is a difficult one and one can easily get lost in the extensive Botswana Wildlife.

So, we’ve created a list of rare animals of Botswana, where they mainly live, their typical lifestyle, and how they survive in the harsh climate of Botswana.

Ta1.  The Modest and Fleeting Aardvark of Botswana’s Savannahs

Aardvarks are nocturnal burrowing mammals native to Africa. They have long noses which help them sniff out bugs and claws which help in opening mounds of termites.

 

·        They can be found in Chobe.

·        They spend their days deeply burrowed to avoid the sweltering African Sun.

·        One can book a night Safari to witness aardvarks.

·        Aardvarks are recluse creatures who feed solely on ants and termites.

·       The dry and cooler seasons of Botswana is your best chance to spot aardvarks in the wild.

One must be cautious of abandoned burrows when seeking to find aardvarks as these can be an abode for dangerous animals like porcupines or pythons. Aardvarks in Botswana’s wildlife is somewhat widespread but are extremely difficult to witness. Some other locations to witness aardvark sightings are Makgadikgadipans Pans and Southern Kalahari.

 

2. The Scavenging Flying Cape Vulture

The Cape Vulture is an Old World Vulture in the Accipitridae family. It’s considered Southern Africa’s only endemic species.

·         This endangered vulture resides chiefly in Botswana, South Africa, and Lesotho.

·         It feeds on the flesh of dead animals i.e. a carrion feeder.

·         Birding aficionados can have an exquisite time in the Chobe National Park as it is a habitat for the Cape Vulture.

·         Other locations to spot this scavenging beast are Namibia and Zimbabwe.

·         The Flying Cape Vulture possesses eyesight twenty times better than a human which helps it find carrion from soaring heights in the sky.

 

Witnessing the sight of this mini beast in Botswana’s Wildlife is simply magnificent and an obvious picturesque opportunity.

 

3. The Ferine African Wild Dog

The African Wild dog has a colored, uneven coat; chiropteran-like ears, and a fuzzy tail that helps in identification and keeping the pack in control while hunting.

·         They’re very adaptive, social, and astute.

·         They are categorized as endangered and can be found in Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, etc.

·         The species’ most crucial citadel in Botswana is the North-West District or Ngamiland which comprises of The Moremi Game Reserve, The Okavango Delta, and Chobe National Park.

·         The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park also contains species of the African Wild Dog.

·         They have four toes instead of five and one can identify footprints in Botswana’s Wildlife or during the course of a safari to track them.

·         They tear apart their prey as opposed to smothering them and are diurnal species.

 

If you can witness their live kills during Botswana’s Safari, it will undeniably leave an enduring impression in your mind as to how vicious predators can be and also how they create strategies to hunt down prey.

 

4. The Ferocious Brown Hyena

Strandwolf or Parahyaena Brunner is a species of hyena found mainly in Botswana, Namibia, and parts of Zimbabwe.

·      This hyperactive and bloodthirsty creature is nocturnal and has the capability of marking scents to track down its prey.

·        Their mating behavior is assorted in nature. They’re classified as polygynous (clan-based) and polygynandrous (based on promiscuity).

·         They’re also gifted with an acute sense of smell and can locate carcasses several miles away.

·         Hyenas are infamous for their screeches and howls. It resembles a maniacal laugh. When they slay their prey the entire clan produces this howl. If you’re fortunate enough to experience this in Botswana’s Wildlife, it’ll be an experience like no other.

·         But faint-of-heart individuals should be content with just catching a glimpse of them as that manic laugh can haunt their dreams.

 

Various conservation territories are an abode for the Brown Hyena including The Central Kalahari Game Reserve and The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

 

5. The Fleetly Southeast African Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus jubatus is the cheetah subspecies indigenous to East and Southern Africa.

·        A surprising detail about the cheetahs is that they’re not hostile by nature. If they’re threatened by a larger animal they will avoid any altercation and may even give up their prey.

·         They are mainly found in open grasslands and dense woodlands.

·        Botswana has the second-largest population of cheetahs in the whole world. They are found in nearly every game reserve and National Park of Botswana including – The Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve, and The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

 

Cheetahs are shy and sensitive animals and are very difficult to spot in Botswana Safari. So, if you do get an opportunity to witness them in the wildlife of Botswana, don’t take it for granted.

 

If you have any questions you can address them and we’ll make sure they are answered. Feel free to contact us at the following details.

 

 +263 83 284 1840/1 or

Email: info@falconsafaris.com

 

Conclusion

When embarking on the exploration of Botswana’s Wildlife, be certain to check out the mentioned National Parks and Game Reserves of Botswana. They inhabit many rare animals that reflect the incredible beauty of Botswana’s Wildlife. And as a visitor allows one to undergo an extensive and satisfying experience of Botswana’s Wildlife.