Namibia is the country we dreamed about visiting for a long time. Seeing pictures of the deserts, the national parks, and the beautiful and empty coasts made it seem like the perfect introduction to Africa for us. Wildlife in Namibia was a big draw because so many of the native African animals live in the northern region of the country.
Etosha National Park was a must-see on our list for the wildlife in Namibia, but we were lucky enough to camp in a few locations with no animal shortage. Visiting in September means it is still dry season, and the watering holes are very active. While at our campgrounds, we did a few guided safari drives to learn more about the animals from experts and connect with other people. In the national park, we were on our own for a self-drive, and we did that on two different days.
With hundreds of photos and the same number of memorable moments, we figured we’d share a few of our favorite experiences with wildlife in Namibia.
Our Favorite Encounters with Wildlife in Namibia
The African Elephant
On our very first guided drive, we came across this gentleman eating. He allowed us to get pretty close and see him head-on. We had recently seen some videos of elephants charging, so Justin made sure to ask the guide how we’d know if he was upset. It turns out they give a couple of warning charges—not something I’d like to experience.
We have learned so much about Elephants and their struggles in the world when we were in Thailand. Seeing them in person in their natural habitat was incredibly humbling. So many people are doing important work to protect the wildlife in Namibia. It was really cool to see it and hear about it firsthand.
The best part of our self-drives was our return to the campsite on both days. We had to leave the national park on the south end, and on both days, we were required to wait on the road while the elephant parade crossed from the watering hole. At least 30 elephants of all sizes slowly made their way across the road, and I will never forget it. It definitely took me back to this scene in Jungle Book:
Hippopotamus
The first Hippo we spotted was in the watering hole, similar to how we’ve seen them at Animal Kingdom, but there is something extra special about finding them yourself. Plus, it’s way cooler in Africa than Florida. The zoom lens came in handy to capture this guy. Not pictured were the crocs lining the shoreline.
We also had great luck spotting them at the watering hole near our campsite out of the water. It’s incredible to watch them move, knowing they are the third largest land mammal. These guys seemed really interested in the food they found, so we were able to get a good look at them.
Giraffe
Giraffes are our nephew’s favorite animal, so they were extra fun to spot. Watching them drink water is amazing because they have to ensure there is no danger around them before bending their knees and lowering themselves to the water. Once they have water in their mouth, they have to tilt their heads back so it can travel down their necks.
The best view of giraffes is in the distance. They are so beautiful and tall. If there are trees around, they blend in and are harder to spot. We got to see them a couple of times just out in the open like this, and it was incredible. As awkward as they may be, watching them move across the horizon is mesmerizing.
If you need more, you can watch this clip of a baby giraffe learning to walk. We saw a few young calves, but none this little.
Rhinoceros
Rhinos are a little harder to find, and you are begged to keep the locations secret because of poaching. We were lucky to be watching when this guy stood out of the water. He was almost impossible to see when lying down. It looked like a log in the water. When he started to move, I may have cried. Think about how strong those legs must be to move that body.
One of the best moments on the entire trip was spotting this little family of Rhinos. It was early in the morning on a tiny little side road. Justin spotted them coming out of the trees to cross the road and we froze. We didn’t think we’d see even one, and we were lucky enough to see three together right in front of us. They moved quickly as if they knew that they were in danger if spotted by certain people. The Rhino in the back covered their tracks by kicking up dirt. For being so giant, these animals remain mysterious and elusive. There were more tears shed at this moment – maybe from both of us this time.
We shared these photos on World Rhino Day on Instagram, along with some action items if you want to help save these beautiful animals from becoming extinct. Click here to see the post. White Rhinos were able to be moved from the endangered species list as their population grew, but the other kinds of Rhinos are not as lucky.
Zebra
You can find Zebras everywhere in the parks, but that doesn’t make them any less special. We ate our packed lunch each day while watching them at the watering hole interacting with each other and other animals. Our guide taught us that many humans have tried to domesticate Zebras, but they are extremely wild at heart. They can get very aggressive and kick hard as well as bite.
Cheetah
We have two girls from South America to thank for this special moment. They were pulled over with binoculars, and we couldn’t figure out what they were looking at. After a few minutes of confusion, they let us in on the secret and offered us a look. Two Cheetahs were taking a nap under a tree. They were extremely hard to spot, and even the zoom lens struggled to pick them up, but we took the pictures anyway.
We knew our chances of seeing Leopards or Cheetahs were slim to none, so this was amazing. Only about 6,000 Cheetahs remain in the wild, but half are in Namibia. We believe these were two males because females prefer solitary life.
African Lions
Lions are one of the most popular requests from passengers on guided safaris. Of all the wildlife in Namibia, they seem to be loved and admired the most. It makes sense that they are the kings and queens of the African Savannah. We were lucky enough to spot many on our trip and even hear some females calling at dusk – that is a roar you can hear from 8 km (5 miles) away.
This old man was spotted on one of our drives with a guide. We learned that he is left alone because of troubles with another pride. The males can leave their pride and become nomadic, searching for their own territory, but it’s rare that the females ever leave their pride. It was a strange moment as we watched him, and he watched us. There was no barrier between us. He had little interest in us as he prepared to take a nap, but he made eye contact a few times, and words cannot explain how cool it was.
The Hunting Lioness
An unforgettable moment from the safari drives was watching this lioness hunt. Our guide found her while she was beginning her late afternoon hunt. We watched her stalk a few different Antelope with little luck.
She seemed to get frustrated and took a little time to give us a show. While she rolled around on the ground, the six of us in the Landrover just sat in awe. We took at least 20 pictures in those few short minutes. Like a house cat reading to play, she flipped back and forth, rolling in the dirt.
After giving us the photos we wanted, our guide knew it was time to leave her to hunt. Spending twenty minutes observing her as she hunted, rolled, and went about her life was fascinating, beautiful, and extremely humbling. It truly felt like we weren’t worthy of sharing space with these incredible animals.e
Can’t Get Enough of the Wildlife of Namibia?
We have so much more from Namibia to share, including a roundup of the lesser-known and lesser-appreciated animals. Plus, we have so many more photos. If you missed it, we hit on a few Namibian highlights in this post.
Comment and let us know your favorite of these animals and if you have any questions about our time in Namibia.
