A-Z African Wildlife Event Calendar • JENMAN African Safaris

A African Wild Dog Denning Season
Pups emerge from dens for the first time, giving the best chance to see entire packs together. Greater Kruger
South Africa

Hwange National Park
Zimbabwe

Mana Pools National Park
Zimbabwe

Moremi Game Reserve
Botswana

Okavango Delta
Botswana

South Luangwa National Park
Zambia

Nyerere National Park
Tanzania

June- August
Timing may vary by region African Wild Dog Pack Movements
Outside denning, wild dogs cover huge distances daily, making sightings thrilling but unpredictable. Moremi Game Reserve
Botswana

Hwange National Park
Zimbabwe

Kruger National Park
South Africa

Nyerere National Park
Tanzania

June- October
Timing may vary by region B Baby Lemur Season
Infant lemurs cling to their mothers, providing excellent viewing in Madagascar’s rainforests. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
Madagascar

Ranomafana National Park
Madagascar

Ankarafantsika National Park
Madagascar

October – November
Peak for infant sightings Bird Breeding & Migrant Arrivals
Southern Africa’s wetlands and coasts fill with breeding birds and Palearctic migrants. iSimangaliso Wetland Park
South Africa

Oudtshoorn & West Coast
South Africa

Okavango Delta
Botswana

March – May Birding Season Madagascar
Endemic species display and nest, making this the best time for birdwatchers. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
Madagascar

Ranomafana National Park
Madagascar

Ankarafantsika National Park
Madagascar

Masoala National Park
Madagascar

September – December Birding Season Southern Africa
Summer migrants arrive, with prime birding in wetlands, savannas, and coastal areas. Kruger National Park
South Africa

iSimangaliso Wetland Park
South Africa

West Coast National Park
South Africa

Okavango Delta
Botswana

December – March C Carmine Bee-eater Nesting Colonies
Thousands of vividly colored bee-eaters dig riverbank burrows to nest communally. Lower Zambezi
Zambia

Luangwa River Bends
Zambia

Chobe National Park
Botswana

Linyanti River Cliffs
Botswana

September – November Chameleon & Reptile Activity
Madagascar’s reptiles are most active during the rainy season, with many species displaying bright colors. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
Madagascar

Ranomafana National Park
Madagascar

Ankarafantsika National Park
Madagascar

November – April Chimpanzee Trekking
Chimpanzee movements follow fruiting cycles in tropical forests. Kibale Forest & Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Uganda

Nyungwe Forest
Rwanda

June-October
Large communities

December- February
High troop activity

E Elephant Gatherings
Herds congregate in the Chobe Riverfront, creating Africa’s highest elephant densities. Chobe National Park
Botswana August – October Elephant Musth Peaks
Mature males enter musth, marked by heightened aggression and increased mating activity. Chobe National Park
Botswana

Amboseli National Park
Kenya

Kruger National Park
South Africa

June – October F Fire Season
Controlled burns and wildfires clear vegetation, improving predator sightings and grazing for herbivores. Hwange National Park
Zimbabwe

Mana Pools National Park
Zimbabwe

Kruger National Park
South Africa

Serengeti National Park
Tanzania

Chobe Woodlands
Botswana

August – November Flamingo Gatherings
Alkaline lakes host massive flamingo flocks, with numbers fluctuating by rainfall and water levels. Lake Nakuru
Kenya

Etosha Pan
Namibia

July – November
Peaks vary by Lake Fruit Bat Feeding
Large colonies of Madagascan fruit bats gather around fruiting trees in the early wet season. Ankarafantsika National Park
Madagascar

Berenty Reserve
Madagascar

Nosy Mangabe
Madagascar

October- December G Golden Monkey Trekking
Endangered golden monkeys concentrate in bamboo forests where food availability peaks in dry seasons. Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda

Mgahinga National Park
Uganda

June-September
High activity season

December-February
Reliable sightings

Gorilla Trekking
Habituated gorilla families are accessible year-round, with dry seasons offering the best trekking conditions. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Uganda

Mgahinga National Park
Rwanda

June- September
High activity season

December – February
Short dry season

Great Wildebeest Migration
Over 1.5 million wildebeest and zebras move between Serengeti and Maasai Mara following rains. Serengeti National Park
Tanzania

Masai Mara National Reserve
Kenya

August – October H Humpback Whale Watching
Whales migrate along Madagascar and Mozambique’s coasts to breed and calve. Île Sainte-Marie
Madagascar

Bazaruto Island
Mozambique

July – October I Impala Rutting Season
Males clash for dominance in dramatic battles during the breeding season. Kruger National Park
South Africa

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi
South Africa

October – December K Kasanka Bat Migration
The world’s largest mammal migration sees millions of fruit bats roosting in Kasanka’s swamp forest. Kasanka National Park
Zambia October – December
Peak in October L Large Hippo Concentrations
Hippos crowd shrinking dry-season rivers, creating noisy and dramatic scenes. Chobe River
Botswana

Okavango Delta
Botswana

Luangwa River
Zambia

August – November Lion & Predator High Activity Season
Scarce prey and dry conditions make predators easier to see hunting during daylight. South Luangwa
Zambia

Kruger National Park
South Africa

Masai Mara National Reserve
Kenya

August – November M Meerkat Viewing
Habituated groups in the Kalahari allow close observation of foraging and sentinel behavior. Makgadikgadi Pans
Botswana Year- Round
Best in dry season. N Namaqualand Flower Season
Desert landscapes burst into color after winter rains, creating vast flower carpets. Namaqualand Region
South Africa August – September O Okavango Delta Flood Season
Seasonal floods transform the delta into a rich wetland with exceptional wildlife densities. Moremi Game Reserve
Botswana

Chief’s Island
Okavango Delta

May – August P Peak Cheetah Sightings
Open plains during the dry season offer prime conditions for spotting cheetahs hunting. Masai Mara National Reserve
Kenya

Serengeti National Park
Tanzania

August – October Peak Leopard Sightings
Leopards are highly visible near water sources as prey concentrates in the dry season. South Luangwa National Park
Zambia September – November R Raptor Concentrations
Migrating and breeding raptors gather in large numbers across East and Southern Africa. Lake Naivasha & Rift Valley Cliffs
Kenya

Serengeti Plains
Tanzania

Drakensberg Cape Vulture Cliffs
South Africa

Etosha & Raptor Hotspots
Namibia

September – November
Southbound Migration
East Africa

March – April
Northbound Return
East Africa

May – August
Southern Africa Breeding

S Shoebill Nesting
Shoebills build floating nests in Bangweulu, while Mabamba offers year-round sightings. Bangweulu Wetlands
Zambia

Mabamba Swamp
Uganda

May – August
Nesting at Banweulu

Year-Round
Sightings at Mabamba

Springbok Calving
Vast herds give birth almost simultaneously, attracting predators. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
South Africa

Karoo & Namaqualand
South Africa

Etosha Pans
Namibia

October – December Southern Right Whale Watching
Coastal waters of South Africa host calving and mating southern right whales. Hermanus
South Africa September – October T Turtle Hatching
Tiny hatchlings emerge and race to the sea, mainly at night. Sodwana Bay
South Africa January – April Turtle Nesting Season
Female turtles haul ashore to lay eggs on Madagascar’s sandy beaches. Nosy Be
Madagascar

Nosy Iranja
Madagascar

Masoala National Park
Madagascar

November – March V Victoria Falls
At high water, the falls thunder with spray, while low water reveals rocky gorges and allows Devil’s Pool visits. Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe & Zambia April – May
High Water Peak

September – December
Low Water Peak

W Wildebeest & Zebra River Crossings
Herds risk crocodile-filled rivers in crossings during the migration. Mara River
Kenya

Grumeti River
Tanzania

July – October Wildebeest Calving
Hundreds of thousands of calves are born within weeks, overwhelming predators. Serengeti National Park
Tanzania

Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Tanzania

February – March Z Zebra Migration
Africa’s longest mammal migration sees tens of thousands of zebras crossing Botswana’s pans. Makgadikgadi Pans
Botswana November – February