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Learn the wildlife of national parks

Learn the wildlife of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Botswana

324 species have research-grade observations inside Makgadikgadi Pans National Park on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, so you know what you're looking at before you go.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus43
  2. Common Ostrich Struthio camelus21
  3. Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis17
  4. Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus14
  5. Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus14
  6. Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus leucomelas14
  7. Red-billed Spurfowl Pternistis adspersus13
  8. Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus12
  9. African Fish-Eagle Icthyophaga vocifer12
  10. Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos11

Plants

  1. Makalani Palm Hyphaene petersiana7
  2. Day Waterlily Nymphaea nouchali3
  3. Sweet Starjasmine Orthanthera jasminiflora3
  4. Camel Thorn Vachellia erioloba3
  5. Hog plum Ximenia americana2
  6. Cowpea witchweed Striga gesnerioides2
  7. Ashwagandha Withania somnifera2
  8. Large fever-berry Croton megalobotrys2
  9. Ammocharis tinneana2
  10. Velvet Raisin Grewia flava2

Mammals

  1. Plains Zebra Equus quagga64
  2. African Savanna Elephant Loxodonta africana56
  3. Southern Giraffe Giraffa giraffa40
  4. Common Wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus26
  5. Common Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius21
  6. Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros18
  7. Steenbok Raphicerus campestris15
  8. Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus14
  9. Impala Aepyceros melampus13
  10. Black-backed Jackal Lupulella mesomelas10

Insects

  1. Plain Tiger Butterfly Danaus chrysippus5
  2. Bush Scarlet Axiocerses amanga5
  3. Pioneer White Belenois aurota3
  4. Glitter Silverline Cigaritis natalensis3
  5. Yellow Pansy Junonia hierta2
  6. Brown Armoured Corncricket Acanthoplus discoidalis2
  7. Broad Scarlet Crocothemis erythraea2
  8. Elegant grasshopper Zonocerus elegans2
  9. Southern Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta2
  10. Zebra White Pinacopteryx eriphia2

Spiders and kin

  1. Kalahari Burrowing Scorpion Opistophthalmus wahlbergii5
  2. Granulated Thick-tailed Scorpion Parabuthus granulatus4
  3. Rough Thicktail Scorpion Parabuthus raudus3
  4. Common Garden Orbweb Spider Argiope australis2
  5. Banded-legged golden orb-web spider Trichonephila senegalensis2
  6. Hyllus treleaveni1
  7. Ovambo Thicktail Scorpion Parabuthus kuanyamarum1
  8. Orange Lesser-Thicktail Scorpion Uroplectes planimanus1

Reptiles

  1. Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus15
  2. Leopard Tortoise Stigmochelys pardalis7
  3. Wahlberg’s Striped Skink Trachylepis wahlbergii7
  4. Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus3
  5. Flap-necked Chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis2
  6. Southern African Python Python natalensis2
  7. Eastern Shield-nose Snake Aspidelaps scutatus1
  8. Common Spiny Agama Agama hispida1
  9. Common Barking Gecko Ptenopus garrulus1
  10. Bradfield's Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus bradfieldi1

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. Parks outside the U.S. are from the World Database on Protected Areas (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, Protected Planet). KnowKi is not affiliated with the National Park Service or any park's managers. Free, with no ads, no account, and no purchases.