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Chobe National Park, Chobe Riverfront, Kwando, Linyanti, Northern Reserves, Savute Marsh, Selinda

Northern Reserves

Located directly north of the Okavango Delta are three superb wildlife reserves: the Linyanti, Selinda, and Kwando. All three reserves offer superb game viewing in huge wilderness areas with very low tourist numbers.

The Kwando River flows south from Angola and, like the Okavango River to its west, it empties partially into the Kalahari sands here, creating a much smaller version of the Okavango Delta - called the Linyanti Swamp.

In the 'bigger' flood years (when rains falling in the Angolan highlands are heavier), the Linyanti swamp overflows and feeds into the Savuti Channel (which flows all the way to Chobe National park and into the Savute Marsh) and the Selinda Spillway (which connects to the Okavango itself).

However, most of the Kwando River's water flows through the Linyanti Swamp and then east into the Linyanti River, which continues to the Chobe River and eventually over the Victoria Falls and out to the Indian Ocean.

Linyanti, Kwando & Selinda

Like all of Botswana, Botswana's northern area is divided into tracts of land called 'concessions' and these concessions are managed separately, sometimes by the government, but often by local communities and for different uses, including subsistence hunting or tourism.

The Linyanti, Kwando, and Selinda concessions are all managed for photo safari tourism. The reserves are similar in terms of their habitat and biomes, with large areas of mopane woodland interspersed with floodplain grasslands and smaller patches of riparian forest along the waterways. The permanent and seasonal water, combined with this diversity of habitat means the wildlife here is plentiful and the safaris are spectacularly good.

The permanent water of the Kwando/Linyanti river system provides a haven for the wildlife here, including large numbers of elephant, buffalo, zebra, warthog, red lechwe, greater kudu, giraffe and impala. There are lots of hippos and crocodiles in the waterways and baboons and vervet monkeys live in the forested areas along these rivers.

The are good numbers of leopard, especially in the riparian woodlands along the rivers and channels. Other predators include lion, jackal and spotted hyena. Cheetah are found on the floodplains around the Savuti Channel, Selinda Spillway and Linyanti river. The entire region is one of the best places in Africa to see packs of African wild dogs.

Chobe National Park

Chobe was Botswana's first proclaimed national park, becoming a game reserve in 1961 and its receiving national park status in 1968. This was a welcome relief for the wildlife, as the land was previously used relentlessly by trophy hunters. Despite its history, today Chobe is still good for game viewing, with numerous lodges located along the riverfront and more far inland around the Savute Marsh.

Chobe covers 4 250 square miles (11 700 sq kms) and takes its name from the Chobe River, which forms the park's northern border and separates Botswana from Namibia's Caprivi/Zambezi region.

Much of Chobe is a combination of mixed woodlands and Acacia scrub, but with areas of cathedral mopane tree forest. There are floodplains along the Chobe River and the Savute Marsh is a seasonally wet area that is filled by the sporadically flowing Savute Channel and fluctuating seasonal rainfall.

Chobe sits atop Kalahari Desert sand and there are sand dunes and vegetated sand ridges in various place in the park. Numerous pans are located throughout Chobe (some are pumped), which fill with rain between December and March and provide drinking water for the animals until they dry out.

Most of Chobe's wildlife is located along the Linyanti/Chobe river system in the far north of the park, particularly during the dry months from July thru October. As the rain abates in March/April, the natural clay pans in the park dry up and the animals, especially elephants and buffalos, are forced to remain near the river for drinking water. The latter part of the dry season is a great time to visit Chobe.

Commonly seen large herbivores in Chobe include elephant, blue wildebeest, Burchell's zebra, giraffe, impala, tsessebe, greater kudu, and warthog. Less common but seen on occasion are eland, roan, and sable antelope.

The most common predators in Chobe are lion and spotted hyena, both of which are seen regularly. African wild dog, cheetah, and leopard are present, but seen less often. Serval, caracal, black-backed jackal, and side-striped jackal are also seen on occasion in Chobe.

Crocodile and hippo are abundant in the Chobe River. Rhinos originally existed here in large numbers, but were eliminated by hunters and poachers by the 1990s.

Chobe is an excellent birding destination, with a list of around 450 species. The Chobe/Linyanti River system in the north offers a diverse mix of waterbirds, passerines, and raptors. The rest of Chobe, including the Savute Marsh in the south, also offers a good birding experience.

For detailed information on Chobe National Park's two best wildlife destinations, click: Chobe Riverfront and Savute Marsh.

CHOBE RIVERFRONT

The Chobe River sustains huge numbers of animals during the dry winter months when the rain water has dried and the permanent river is the only source of water for many miles. Big herds of elephants and buffalos are never far from the river at this time of year. Chobe transforms from a decent safari location most of the year to one of the best places in the country for safaris during the dry months.

Elephants can often be seen swimming back and forth between the Botswana and the Namibia banks, a spectacular sight! Predators along the river are also common with lions, leopard and wild dogs seen often. Crocodiles and hippos are plentiful in the river and bird life is spectacular, with herons, egrets, fish eagles, skimmers, pelicans and kingfishers seen everywhere along the banks.

Savute Marsh

While most of Chobe National Park away from the Chobe River is thick scrub bush on sandy terrain, the area around the Savute Marsh has rich grasslands and wooded forest. The Savuti Channel, which originates in the northern Linyanti, flows with drastically variable amounts of water and empties (when there is enough water) into the Savute Marsh, giving life to this otherwise dry region. 

Over the years, the Savute Marsh has cycled from years of dry to years of wet, depending entirely on the amount of water entering the Savuti Channel. The skeletons of dead trees can be seen around the marsh, many of them leadwood trees, which can stand many years after dying. These remnants are thought to be from trees that grew between the 1880s and 1950s, when the marsh was dry and subsequently died when the marsh flooded again in the late 1950s.

Today there are several permanent waterholes (filled via water pumps) and the wildlife around them is plentiful, as they are the only permanent water for many miles for most of the year. Two permanent safari camps and several overland campsites are situated around the marsh.

The Savute Marsh is well known for its lion prides, some of which grew so large that they took to killing elephants to satisfy their needs. Herds of elephants frequently pass through the area on their way to and from the Okavango. There are also very impressive bull elephants that live in the marsh for much of the year. Leopards do well around the marsh, with rocky outcrops and small forest pockets giving them refuge and spotted hyenas are common, with several large clans competing for the abundant prey.

During and just after the rainy months, wildebeest and zebra move through the marsh for the fresh grasses, especially during April and May. Buffalo herds can also seen when the Savuti Channel is flowing. Giraffes are present on the southern side of the marsh in the acacia woodland and sometimes oryx can be seen here. Birdlife is exceptionally good, especially when the marsh has water.

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Chobe National Park, Chobe Riverfront, Kwando, Linyanti, Northern Reserves, Savute Marsh, Selinda