Botswana is known for its diverse and beautiful wildlife. Sadly, a few of the species are endangered.

Here is a list of these animals, some interesting facts, and where you can go see them.

The Endangered Animals

• Red Lechwe: antelope found in Botswana, Zambia and north-eastern Namibia. It is most commonly found in marshy areas. They are known to run quite fast in knee-deep water, as their legs are covered in a water repelling substance. The red lechwe herds are usually all of one sex. Their conservation status is rated as Least Concern.

Where to see: Okavango Delta, Linyanti.

• Mountain Reedbuck: this is another antelope, found in sub-Saharan Africa. Its conservation status is rated as Least Concern. The mountain reedbuck survives on grass and leaves. Their herds consist of five individuals, including one mature male. In the dry season, however, the herds can expand to thirty individuals. They are inactive during the heat of the day.

Where to see: Chobe National Park, Kwando-Linyanti region.

• African Wild Dog: This is a large canid of Endangered conservation status, found only in Africa. The wild dog found in Southern Africa is larger than the wild dog found in Eastern or Western Africa. Their prey is of a wide variety, consisting of impala, springbok, kudu, wildebeest, ostrich and even the giant eland.

Where to see: Mapula Lodge, Okavango Delta.

• Pangolin: this animal is known for being a good swimmer and excellent escape artist when captured. It is most commonly found in the tropical regions of Africa. The Pangolin has no teeth and lacks the ability to chew. The Pangolin conservation status is Data Deficient, as there is not enough data to assess its risk of extinction.

Where to see: Uitspan Ranch, on the border of Botswana.

• Aardvark: this animal is a living fossil, and has a conservation status of Least Concern. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa’s savannahs and bushland. The Aardvark has a life span of 24 years.

Where to see: Much of Botswana bush, Okavango Delta.

• Wattled Crane: a large bird of Vulnerable conservation status. It can be found south of the Sahara Desert, but the largest concentration is in the Okavango Delta. The wattled crane boasts being the largest crane in Africa.

Where to see: Okavango Delta.

• African Skimmer: found in Senegal, Congo River, the Nile Valley, Tanzania, the Zambezi Valley, Natal and Angola. It is scarce in South African parks, making it an animal of great interest in these parks. The African Skimmer feeds at dawn and dusk. The conservation status for the African Skimmer is Near Threatened.

Where to see: Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta.

• Cape Griffon vulture: this animal is endemic to Southern Africa, found in Lesotho, Botswana and South Africa. It has the conservation status of Vulnerable, due to poisoning, disturbance at breeding colonies and powerline electrocution. The population is estimated at 8000.

Where to see: Mannyelanong Hill Cape Griffon Vultury, nearby to Gaborone.

• Cheetah: found in most of Africa, and in some areas of the Middle East. The cheetah’s conservation status is rated as Vulnerable. It is the only felid with non-retractable claws. Physical attributions of the cheetah are a deep chest, narrow waist and coarse, short fur. It is capable of reaching speeds up to 120 km/h.

Where to see: Chobe National Park, Nxai Pan National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

International Union for Conservation of Nature

The IUCN is an international organization that was founded in 1948, and has its headquarters in Switzerland. They find “pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.” The IUCN is responsible for publishing the Red List.

The Red List

This list was founded in 1963, and is the most accurate and intricately detailed list of the worldwide conservation status of plant and animal species. The IUCN aims to re-evaluate each species every 5 to 10 years.

Conservation Status Chart

The different categories and criteria:

• Extinct (EX): no individuals of the species remain, in the wild or captivity.
• Extinct in the Wild (EW): the species is only known to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside of its historic range.
• Critically Endangered (CR): extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
• Endangered (EN): high risk of extinction in the wild.
• Vulnerable (VU): high risk of endangerment in the wild.
• Near Threatened (NT): likely to become endangered in the near future.
• Least Concern (LC): lowest risk. The species does not qualify for a more at risk category.
• Data Deficient (DD): a conservation status very seldom used, but also very useful. This status means that there is not enough data available on the species to make an assessment of its risk of extinction.
• Not Evaluated (NE): another status that is rarely seen, it means the species has not yet been evaluated against the criteria needed to make an assessment.

 

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