We are massive safari fans and have been going on safari for over 30 years. In that time we have learned a lot about wildlife spotting on safari and are often asked how to spot wildlife on safari.
These safari wildlife spotting tips have come from experienced guides as well as us making rookie mistakes on self-guided safaris.
There can be quite a lot to consider when you go on safari to enable you to make the most of your experience.
This guide aims to give you the best chances to spot animals on safari and assumes that you will be doing a self-drive safari (self-drive safaris often work out better with young kids). See here for self-drive safari tips for beginners. However, these tips will also help if you are on a guided safari.
Planning your safari? Take a look at our recommendations for the best safari lodges in South Africa for families, our guide to what to pack for a safari with kids and where to find malaria free safaris for families. See also our guide on the cost of safari holidays for families which includes tips to bring the cost down.
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How to spot wildlife on safari
If you spend a little time reading these safari spotting tips before you go, you can significantly improve your animal sightings.
These 10 tips are a beginner’s guide to spotting safari animals whilst on safari.
Above all, keep an open mind in terms of what you see. During our first safaris, we were all about seeing the Big 5 but now we love seeing the incredible range of birds and smaller animals. Your safari doesn’t have to include a lion sighting to be successful.
1. Timing is everything
If you are flexible with when you travel, you should look at the best time of year to visit your chosen destination.
The reason for this is that you will see different animals at different times of year. In the wet season, you will struggle to see some animals because they don’t need to come to the watering holes as much and long grasses can obscure sightings. On the flip side, the wet season can bring abundant bird life and plains animals who come to graze.
When you have decided when to take your safari holiday, you then need to think about the best time of day to go on safari.
Dawn and dusk tend to be the most active time for mammals and birds, when there’s some light but the sun has lost most of its heat. If you do see a lion in the middle of the day, it will probably be asleep in the shade of a large tree.
By the way, the best wildlife photography opportunities tend to be around sunrise and sunset.
2. Find out where the popular watering holes are
Most animals will drink daily, so finding a watering hole is a good tip – particularly in the dry season.
We have spent hours sitting waiting at watering holes watching animals come and go. This often proves more successful than driving around trying to find animals.
Predators and large herbivores tend to drink at dawn or dusk, while antelopes drink in small doses throughout the day. Rhinos favour mid evening drinking sessions from sun down until around 10pm.
The key here is to be patient and quiet!
You can ask at the visitor information centre for information on watering holes or read up in advance. For example, here are the details for the watering holes in Etosha in Namibia. See also our complete self-drive Etosha guide.
Obviously you won’t need to do this if you are trying to spot wildebeest during the Great Wildebeest Migration!
3. Check the weather forecast
Weather conditions affect animal activities enormously. Generally speaking, sun or high winds drives animals to take cover, so you should be looking in sheltered areas.
Overcast weather can be a good thing as it can prolong the dusk & dawn activity of many animals.
Storms are often followed by bursts of activity as the predators come out to hunt insects and frogs.
And speaking from experience, animals don’t like to be out in the rain. We have had some pretty miserable experiences on safari in the rain. It can be cold and damp with no animals in sight.
If it looks like persistent rain, why not take advantage of some downtime in the lodge. Several early morning safaris in a row can leave you exhausted!
4. Look for evidence of animals
You may be keeping a keen eye out for animals themselves but sometimes sightings can come from animal tracks or droppings.
Did you know that rhinos choose the same place to go to the toilet. It is called a midden. If you spot a midden, you know that a rhino may be in the vicinity.
If you spot animal tracks, try to see which direction they are headed in. Surprisingly, some animals like to take the path of least resistance so instead of heading through the bush, they may walk along the track you are on so keep your eyes peeled (and drive carefully!)
We tracked desert elephants footprints down a sandy river bed in Namibia and were rewarded with an amazing sighting of these elusive animals!
5. Consider what to take on safari
There are a few things that we recommend taking on safari to enhance your wildlife spotting experience.
A decent pair of binoculars will help you see animals at a distance. If you are on a self-drive safari in a national park, you aren’t allowed off road and the animals are unlikely to come to you.
It is also worth investing in a decent camera with a zoom lens. We are not professional photographers by any means but there are lots of entry level cameras that work well. We use this Canon DSLR and this lens.
An animal spotting book specific to the area will help you identify the animals you see (beyond the obvious Big 5).
6. Consider what to wear on safari
You need to consider your safari outfit. Ideally you want to blend in. Flourescent or neon colours are far from ideal. You want to be aiming for neutrals like green, khaki or beige.
As well as thinking about your colours, you need to be prepared for cold mornings or evenings (layering is key). You also need to find out from your guide (if you are taking a guided safari drive) whether they have waterproof ponchos for you to use if you are in an open top vehicle.
We always pack our packable jackets when we travel just in case. These are the ones we use (Men, women, kids).
We have a guide regarding what to wear on safari.
It is also best to avoid wearing strong scents. Animals will smell you or hear you before you see them – which leads onto our next tip.
7. Stay quiet on safari
Your sound travels and animals will hear you before you see them. Not only do you not want to scare off the animals before you have a chance to see them, you also want to listen out for tell tale signs of animal presence.
There might be an alarm call from birds signalling a predator in the vicinity. You might miss a parent calling out to their young.
8. Be patient
Going on safari is not like visiting a zoo. Animal sightings are not guaranteed. You may be out driving for a few hours before you see something amazing.
You will see wildlife in the meantime, but if you are desperately seeking a leopard or one of the harder to spot animals, you need to have patience.
9. Be prepared
Over the years we have learned to pack our day bag the night before our game drives. Early morning game drives can mean a 4am wake up call and we don’t know about you but we don’t function that early in the morning before a coffee.
Packing the evening before limits the chances of forgetting something and means an extra few minutes in bed!
Some people don’t function until they’ve had a shower but bear in mind that you will get dusty straight away and your (lovely but unnatural shower gel) scent will carry.
10. Take a guided safari
If this is your first time going on safari and you don’t feel comfortable doing a self-drive safari, book a guide.
Taking a guided safari with a good guide gives you the opportunity to chat to them and learn a few tricks.
After a few hours of spotting with a professional, you’ll start to understand at least some of the telltale animal signs they’re looking for, and be able to put it to good use yourself.
We actually did this on one of our South African self-drive safaris. We hired a guide to come with us to spot one day and it was great.
We hope you have found this safari wildlife spotting guide helpful and that you can use some of the wildlife spotting tips to good use on your own safari!
