Wildlife in Katavi National Park

There might not be the widest variety of wildlife on the average game drive, but sightings tend to be spectacular, and you’ll mostly have them to yourself. Lion and elephant are common, and you can also expect to see thousand-strong herds of buffalo. Even more remarkable are the park’s hippos, which are forced to gather together in their hundreds in small pools as the rivers dry up, leading to regular fights between the highly territorial males. During the Dry season in Katavi National Park, the Katuma River is packed with hippo, while crocodile bask on the sandbanks.

Best Time to Visit

It’s best to visit Katavi from July to October, which is during the middle and end of the Dry season. At this time, animals gather on the floodplains to get a drink and the thin vegetation won’t shield them from your view. During the Wet season and at the beginning of the Dry season, from November to May, many game-drive tracks are impassable. Most camps close for part or all of the months of November to May.