Despite the dry Kalahari desert, Botswana is one of the most fertile countries in Africa. This is mainly due to magical rivers such as the Chobe, Linyanti and Zambezi and the unique wet landscape of the famous Okavan Modelta. This combination results in a rich ecosystem, in which nature uses its own 'water engineers'.
Text: Angelique van Os | Photography: Henk Bothof
A few meters from our safari tent, I hold my breath. Leaves rustle and branches break. Suddenly I see a big grey skin. I've never seen them so close before. Manager Anneri of the really beautiful and completely self-sufficient Wilderness DumaTau Camp, hasn't said that we should be on our guard, or we're already staring straight into the eyes of an elephant. The animal flaps its ears. Not because it feels threatened, but to regulate its moisture and temperature. "You should never turn around and run away when you see an elephant, because then he will come after you. Always let the animal pass by first. Or as now, we just have to wait until he's finished nibbling. Because as long as he keeps chewing on grass, there's nothing wrong", says Anneri calmly. We wait a few minutes for the elephant to turn around. But that doesn't happen. Anneri chuckles and finally she claps her hands. She doesn't like to chase away animals, because we are guests in their environment. But the safety of the guests is paramount. With some reluctance the animal disappears into the bushes and eats its lunch a little further on. The adrenaline slowly slides out of my body. Soon it turns out that this is one of the many grey colossus that we can admire up close. And there are many of them at the same time. A day later, for example, an impressive bull wanders around the reception and during a delicious boat lunch where we float along the Savute canal, we have to wait with mooring. An elephant swims along the quay and decides to go ashore right at the back of the luxury camp. DumaTau takes its name from 'the roar of the lion', but in this area it's without a doubt the large herds of elephants that make up the service here.
These large 'parades' are not only to be found in this area, on the edge of the Linyanti swamp and the Ospray Lagoon. They are mainly found in and around the waters of the major rivers such as the adjacent Chobe and Kwando, the famous Okavango Delta and the extensive Chobe National Park. In addition to elephants, these watery ecosystems are also bursting with hippos, many bird species, crocodiles, antelopes, cat-like species and other wildlife that migrate to the water to drink. We are located in the untouched Africa of North Botswana. Where water systems can still flow largely unaffected and freely and where the diverse ecosystem not only depends on this rich area, but also makes an important contribution to its future.
Complex as a whole
The rich water and river systems of North Botswana are closely interlinked, as well as with neighbouring countries. As a result, it forms a complex whole, with rivers flowing into each other and bearing a different name. The Savute canal starts in the Linyanti concession and ends in the Savuti marsh, which borders Chobe National Park. These are protected areas. The Linyanti concession covers an enormous area of 125,000 hectares and is supervised by Wilderness Safaris and its Wilderness Wildlife Trust. Wilderness Safaris is a large tour operator within Southern Africa and only has its own concessions. In Linyanti they have two other small-scale lodges besides DumaTau. The organization has been in existence for more than 35 years and presents excellent eco-safaris in the high segment.
Veins
The Savute water comes from the Kwando-Linyanti river. This river originates in the highlands of Angola and undergoes several name changes on this route before forming a delta-law country on the border with Botswana and Namibia. To keep it 'clear': the Kwando River touches the Linyanti fault line and changes direction into the Linyanti River. Linyanti then turns into Chobe, which in turn flows into the Zambezi River near Kasane. Then there is the Selinda Canal, which connects the Okavango system with the Kwando-Linyantis system. In the event of a flooding of the systems, water enters the other network via the Selinda canal. And so all the veins are interconnected again.
The fault lines and shifts of the rivers are clearly visible from the air, so that the change of vegetation (river, swamp, grassland, forest and savannah) also complement each other. Due to the intense presence of all this water, the game thrives in this part of Botswana. And the marshy areas are unsuitable and too remote for settlements. A positive result is that the game has more living space and is less threatened, especially in protected concessions such as Wilderness.
Unspoilt nature
Back to Linyanti. This fairy-tale area of 28,000 m2, situated at the edge of the fertile Okavango oasis, forms a dynamic color palette, with spectacular views over the lively water landscape. There is always movement. During several game drives we see elephants cooling down in the swamps and river. They splash and spray water with their trunks on top of each other, as if they shower together. The grey skins like to swim between a bed of white water lilies, which sparkles in the rising heat. Occasionally a few hippos take a beating. Like a submarine, they appear on the surface, keep a close eye on everything with its strong smell, only to disappear under water again a little later. Gallant and agile impalas spread in small groups in the high reed while jumping. They also seek shelter and refreshment, unaware that there may be a crocodile lurking. Or a leopard, because this devious cat can sneak silently around shallow water. We are very lucky, because a two year old male has been spotted, who is working away an old bite in a tree. The beautiful animal is luckily not impressed by our 4x4 jeep, and is slowly moving after his breakfast. The solitary leopard wanders in its dead field through the high grass and walks over a wooden bridge that the jeeps can cross. The cat screens the swamp for prey with his sharp vision. There is not much to see. On the other side he marks out his territory by a tree, and then, by a small detour through the forest, arrives at an open water spot again. Rttttssshhhh... Despite its speed, the beaten leopard sees its next bite - a lizard - shooting into the water. There is always boss above boss. The cat gives up and disappears into the bushes in search of cooling. I dare to breathe again, what a privilege to be able to follow this animal in this untouched nature.
SEE PART 2 & 3 FOR THE FULL STORY!
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