Two enormous plains– Chada and Katasunga – dominate the park, surrounded by varied woodlands. Katavi National Park is at its best in the dry season, when the plains fill with thousands of zebra, topi and impala. Hartebeest, giraffe, and Defassa waterbuck are also common, there's a large population of resident elephants, and huge herds of buffalo. Katavi National Park is a great park for watching lion-buffalo interactions on your Tanzania safari. Wild dog do live here, but are rarely seen on the plains.
Lake Katavi and Lake Chada boast one of the largest populations of Hippopotamus and crocodiles. Katavi National Park hosts large flocks of open-billed storks, saddlebills, spoonbills, crested cranes and pink-backed pelicans. Raptors are also plentiful.
