All 4 in 3 days here: ~80%
Mana Pools National Park
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Southern Africa, Zimbabwe 1189 spp. recorded
Mana Pools National Park lies in northern Zimbabwe, on the flood‑plain of the Zambezi River. The park is a tropical savanna where river islands, grassy banks and scattered mopane woodlands create a mosaic of dry and wet habitats.
-15.902° S 29.526° E
🦜 Nature
454 Species sighted
26,119 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Nov Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
+ 702 more species with insufficient data
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Mana Pools National Park
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
54Jan
60Feb
7.8Mar
56Apr
59May
63Jun
66Jul
67Aug
54Sep
59Oct
74Nov
64Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Zambezi River floodplain
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
African Bush Elephant~80%≈
Meves's Glossy-starling~80%+10%
Fork-tailed Drongo~80%+10%
Egyptian Goose~70%+10%
White-fronted Bee-eater~70%≈
Southern Red-billed Hornbill~70%≈
Helmeted Guineafowl~70%≈
Cape Turtle Dove~70%≈
Lilac-breasted Roller~70%+10%
Common Bulbul~70%+10%
Vervet Monkey~70%+20%
African Buffalo~70%+10%
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Lower Zambezi National Park
-
Royal Zambezi Lodge
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
4.2
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 870
🐒 Mammals 177
🦎 Reptiles 104
🐸 Amphibians 38
1189 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
38 Threatened 5 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
5.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
68% 📊
Coverage (287 species at ≥5% of 1189 in the inventory)
24% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (7 bird, 4 mammal, 1 reptile)
72% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
196 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
40 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
59 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
5.0
Climate Pleasant High
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism Low High
Trails Easy High
World Heritage Yes Bonus
What visitors say
My most memorable Mana moments were on foot – with Boswell the bull elephant (see video here>>>) and when we approached a pride of lion on foot – that was exciting.
We have spent lots of time here in Mana Pools searching for wild dogs and searching for leopards — sadly, we never saw either (though we did see two leopards in Botswana for those who are following!) The wild dogs apparently abandoned their den fairly recently after two of the pups were killed by hyenas.
We found plenty of elephants, crocodiles on a hippo kill, and even a sighting of Mana Pools' most favorite resident, Boswell.
Right away we saw elephant, impala and zebra as we drove our way to Nyamepi, the public campsite and site of park HQ.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Mana Pools National Park?
1,189 species
Mana Pools National Park has 1,189 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are African Bush Elephant (about 80%), Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove (about 70%), Meves's Glossy-starling (about 70%), Cape Turtle Dove (about 70%) and White-fronted Bee-eater (about 70%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Nile Crocodile (about 60%); among amphibians, Grey Foam-nest Treefrog (about 50%).
When is the best time to visit Mana Pools National Park for wildlife?
July
In that month the park's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 50% in April and December–January. That is one of Mana Pools National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 290 mm in January.
Can you see an African Bush Elephant in Mana Pools National Park?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report an African Bush Elephant sighting in Mana Pools National Park on a given day, based on 160 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July (about 90%).
Can you see a Painted Hunting Dog in Mana Pools National Park?
Yes
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Hunting Dog sighting in Mana Pools National Park on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is September (about 60%).
Can you see a Common Hippopotamus in Mana Pools National Park?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hippopotamus sighting in Mana Pools National Park on a given day, based on 86 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February (about 80%).
Can you see a Lion in Mana Pools National Park?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Lion sighting in Mana Pools National Park on a given day, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July (about 80%).
Where in Mana Pools National Park is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Zambezi River floodplain
The richest sighting zone is around Zambezi River floodplain, followed by Lower Zambezi National Park and Royal Zambezi Lodge, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Mana Pools National Park good for wildlife watching?
4.8 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Mana Pools National Park rates 4.8/5: 30th of 316 parks worldwide and 21st in Africa. 76 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
