Camelthorn Waterhole
A pumped waterhole on the Boteti, on the route of Botswana's great zebra migration.
About this view
This waterhole sits on the Boteti River at the edge of Botswana's Makgadikgadi, and it is artificial by necessity: the river runs dry, so water is pumped from boreholes to keep it filled. A solar-powered system installed with Animal Survival International delivers on the order of 60,000 litres a day.
It sits on the path of Botswana's zebra migration, in which as many as 30,000 animals cover more than 300 kilometres between the Okavango and these pans. When the zebra move on, the hippos, crocodiles and elephants that cannot follow stay behind and depend on exactly this kind of water.
Botswana is UTC+2. The dry months from roughly July to October concentrate everything here; the migration itself follows the rains, arriving in the pans as the grass comes up. First and last light are when the traffic is heaviest.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is the Camelthorn Waterhole live cam located?
- The camera looks over Boteti River, Makgadikgadi, in Botswana. Its position is 20.470°S, 24.530°E, which you can open on our world map.
- What time is it at the Camelthorn Waterhole camera?
- Boteti River, Makgadikgadi runs on UTC+2, and the live clock at the top of this page shows the current local time and whether it is day or night there. It is worth checking before you watch: this view changes completely between the middle of the night and the busiest hours of the day.
- Are there other live cams near Boteti River, Makgadikgadi?
- Yes — the closest ones are Kalahari Salt Pan, Elephant Pan, Hyena Pan and Camp Kuzuma Waterhole. They are listed under "Nearby cams" further down this page, and every camera we carry is plotted on the world map.
- Is this stream really live?
- Yes. This is a real 24/7 live feed broadcast by Africam, played through the official YouTube player — free, no account needed. Every stream in our catalogue is checked automatically before each update to confirm it is still live and watchable.
