Where to see White Rhino in Botswana
The white rhino is the largest and most numerous of the world’s five rhinoceros species. More visible and approachable than the black rhino, it survives today thanks to over a century of intensive conservation.

Quick facts about White Rhino
Scientific name: | Ceratotherium simum | Habitat: | Woodland savannah |
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IUCN status: | Near Threatened | Adult weight: | 1,800–2,700kg |
White rhinos were once abundant in Botswana but by 1900 had become extinct. Subsequent reintroductions from South Africa saw 95 individuals translocated to the Okavango and Chobe regions between 1967 and 1980. This population thrived at first, but heavy poaching from the late 1980s reduced it to a handful. In 1992, the survivors were translocated to Khama Rhino Sanctuary, a small, secure reserve in the south. This population grew, with more translocations from South Africa, and in 2001, white rhinos from Khama were reintroduced again to the Okavango. Increased security has since enabled numbers to increase, despite a severe poaching spike during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today the country has around 240 individuals.
±18,000
Population (IUCN, 2018)
50km/h
Max. speed
±50 years
Life expectancy
205cm
Record horn length
The top camps for seeing white rhino in Botswana
Based on 34 reports by our travellers since May 2018, visitors at these camps in Botswana have the best chances of sighting white rhino .
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Best areas to see white rhinos in Botswana
Although the vast majority of white rhinos are in southern Africa – notably South Africa - they can still be seen in other countries. Reasonably approachable by vehicle, they may also be tracked on foot.
Botswana: white rhino hot spots
To guarantee seeing a white rhino in Botswana, visit the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, near Serowe. Here, some 35 white rhinos reside in a secure community-run protection area, alongside a few black rhinos. But if, like many safari-goers, your visit centres on the country’s northern safari hub, then try the Chief’s Island region of Moremi Reserve in the Okavango Delta. Some camps here, such as Duba Plains and Chief’s Camp, offer increasingly reliable white rhino sightings. With ongoing reintroductions and improved security, numbers in the Okavango region should increase, making sightings more likely in future. Wandering white rhinos from the Okavango have sometimes reached Makgadikgadi Pans, to the south, while in Botswana’s far east, white rhinos from neighbouring South Africa have occasionally crossed into the Northern Tuli Reserve.

Our best Botswana holidays for white rhino sightings
Based on our travellers' reports, these ideas for Botswana safaris are likely to give the best white rhino sightings

More information about white rhino in our other destinations
Click here for detailed information about white rhino in other countries, including the places for sighting white rhino .