Chobe Botswana Ecosystems

Neighboring the Okavango Delta is Chobe region – one of Botswana’s most well conserved areas. It is a diverse area, stretching from the border at the Chobe River, to the now dry Savuti Channel and extends further to the borders of Moremi Game Reserve. Chobe is best known for the largest concentration of elephants (over120 000) on the African continent and other game.  Birding is also exceptional, with several migrants coming between November and March.

Hippo in Chobe River

Declared a National Park in 1967, Chobe covers 10,566 sq km and is the third largest national park in Botswana after Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Gemsbok National Park. This first National Park in Botswana lies along Chobe River in the Northern region and borders Moremi Game Reserve in the south.

Of the three National Parks, Chobe is the more diverse and houses the largest number of elephant in Africa. Also home to the African Big Five, Chobe is particularly renowned for elephants and buffaloes; plus the two rare antelope i.e. the puku and the Chobe bushbuck. The wide Chobe River is the lifeblood of the area and feeds adjacent floodplains much loved by Elephants.

Chobe becomes a wildlife lover’s haven particularly between May and late September (the dry spell), because massive herds of Buffalo, Eland, Giraffe, Impala, Oribi, Roan, Tsessebe, Waterbuck, Wildebeest and Zebra become superbly visible more easily especially when the foliage has reduced.

Chobe Ecosystems – Chobe topography has 4 distinct ecosystems namely;

Serondela Area

Serondela Safari Elephants

Serondela area with its lush plains is situated in the extreme Northeast of the park. The area is covered with extensive savannahs and rolling grasslands, which makes wildlife particularly dynamic in this section of the park. The famous bee-eater is also spotted here, along the river. Serondela is reputed for its annual migration of zebras and predators. The Chobe River, which flows along the Northeastern border of the park, is a drinking spot for elephants and buffaloes in the dry season.

Linyanti Swamps

Linyanti Swamps

Situated at the North-west corner of Chobe and to the North of Savuti, are adjacent to Linyanti River. To the west of them lie Selinda Reserve and on the Northern bank of Kwando River is Namibia’s Mamili NP. Close to these 2 rivers are riverine woodlands, open woodlands plus lagoons, while the rest of the region mainly has flood plains. Prominent are high concentrations of leopards, lions, wild dogs, Roan antelopes, Sable antelopes and hippopotamuses.

Savuti Marsh

Savuti Marsh in size 10,878 sq km constitutes the western stretch of the park. The Savuti Marsh is the relic of a large inland lake whose water supply was cut a long time ago by tectonic movements. The marsh is presently supplied by the erratic Savuti Channel, which fills up when rainfall is abundant and floods up at other times. The region is covered with extensive savannahs and rolling grasslands. When it’s dry, tourists can easily view warthogs, kudus, impalas, zebras, wildebeests and the bully elephants. In the wet seasons, the rich birdlife of the park (over 450 species) is well represented. This region is also reputed for its annual migration of zebras and predators.

Hot Dry Hinterland

hinterland-birds

Hot dry hinterland has a very rich Birdlife.