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| The plains of the Chobe waterfront are filled with wildlife (Chobe River is in the foreground) |
It has been awhile since our last posting, summer becomes busy around here and it seems there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all of our varied tasks. In this post we describe our experience at the Chobe waterfront where we encountered a plethora of wildlife along the Chobe River filling the and the plains adjacent to the waterfront.
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| A goose comes in for landing on the Chobe River amongst a Great Egret, Saddle-bill Stork and ducks |
The Chobe River originates in the highlands of Angola as the Cuando (also spelled Kwando) River and flows southeast through Zambia, where upon exiting the country it forms the border between Namibia and Botswana. At one time the river continued its southeastern flow, eventually merging with the waters of the Okavango Delta and continuing south, eventually the merged rivers filled Lake Makgadikgadi, which is now a seasonal swamp. An ancient uplift effectively cut off the southeastern flow of the Cuando River, diverting it to the east where it becomes the Linyati River until further east it gives rise to the Chobe River, eventually flowing into the Zambezi. At the end of the dry season the Cuando-Linyata-Chobe system along with the Okavango Delta are the only consistent sources of water in northern Botswana. Because of this and because the wildlife of Chobe National Park are protected from hunting, come the dry season the Chobe waterfront is like a magnificent outdoor zoo where safari travelers view wildlife across the unobstructed views of the treeless plains. This area has one of the largest concentrations of wildlife across the whole of Africa!
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| Herds of Zebra and Impala and a troop of Baboons on the plains along the Chobe River |
We were not to be disappointed! Herds of elephant, impala, zebra, buffalo, kudu, and giraffe filled the plains along with warthogs, waterfowl, baboon, crocodile, hippopotamus, and to many species of waterfowl to mention them all. But the thrill for me was seeing for the first time in my life a herd of the ultra shy sable antelope trot down to the water, quickly engorge themselves and flee back into the bush. These incredibly beautiful creatures, seldom seen at close range are extremely difficult to capture on camera. It was worth the price of admission. This plethora of hoofed animals, essentially prey items also attract the majestic African predators including lion, cheetah, and leopard and not so majestic jackal and hyena.
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| A herd of the majestic Sable Antelope stop for a quick drink at a waterhole along the Chobe waterfront |
Chobe National Park and the Chobe waterfront are truly without parallel in Africa and I encourage you to try and visit at least once in your lifetime. It is not as expensive as you might think and GrassTrack Safaris is here to help you make this a dream that does not escape you.
Our next blog will cover more on Chobe National Park.
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| A scout troop of young male lions rests in the shade of a Mopane Tree along the Chobe River |
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| A Leopard hides in the bush attempting to avoid detection by a herd of Impala |
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