One of Namibia’s newest national parks, Bwabwata National Park encompasses an area of 6,274 square kilometres in northeast Namibia, along the Caprivi Strip, with Angola to the north, Botswana to the south, Okavango River to the west and Kwando River to the east. Bwabwata National Park derives its name from a Bwabwata village located within it. In the local language, the word ‘Bwabwata’ means ‘the sound of bubbling water’. The park was created after merging Buffalo Game Park, Mahango Game Reserve and Caprivi Game Park. Today, it has highly diverse flora and fauna, with the primary attraction being its extraordinary wildlife, animals and birds alike.
Bwabwata National Park is located at the centre of the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area (KaZa TFCA). KaZa TFCA acts as a wildlife corridor for African elephants migrating from Botswana to Zambia and Angola. It comprises over 20 wildlife reserves across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe and aims to expand the wildlife protected areas, broaden the historical game migration routes, increase biodiversity and ultimately attract visitors to the area.
Bwabwata has abundant elephant populations as well as giraffe, buffalo, reedbuck, red lechwe, sable antelope, roan antelope, zebra, wildebeest, sitatunga, tsessebe, and hippopotamus.
Bwabwata is home to four of Africa’s big five animals, lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo. It doesn’t have rhinoceros. Predators commonly seen in the park include hyenas, cheetahs, and crocodiles.
A globally recognised birding destination, Bwabwata has two perfect birding spots, the Kavango River and the Mahango area. It is home to over 352 bird species including white-faced whistling duck, Egyptian goose, common ostrich, helmeted and crested guinea fowls, orange river francolin, greater flamingo, African green pigeon, and grey lourie (commonly called the go-away-bird).
Bwabwata is also home to 13 eagle species: brown snake eagle, black-chested snake eagle, western banded snake eagle, long-crested eagle, lesser spotted eagle, martial eagle, Wahlberg’s eagle, steppe eagle, African fish eagle, African hawk-eagle, tawny eagle, and Ayre’s eagle.
Bwabwata is one of the year-round safari destinations in Southern Africa. From wildlife viewing to spotting migratory bird species, there is always something to do in Bwabwata. For wildlife viewing, visitors should plan a trip during the dry season from June to September for prime conditions. The warm temperatures and clear skies are ideal for game drives while the thinning vegetation makes it easier to spot the wildlife that congregates around the dwindling water sources.
Migrant birds are present in Bwabwata from November to April, the wet summer season in Namibia, which makes it an ideal time to visit the park for a bird watching safari. During the dry months, visitors can spot the resident birds.
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