The middle of the Okavango Delta is protected
by the Moremi Wildlife Reserve which covers 4890 sq km, or 20%
of the greater delta area. The grasslands and acacia woodland
here stay dry all year around and attract a number of the delta’s
larger animals.
Chief's Island is the largest landmass within Moremi and is flanked
by the two largest rivers in the delta, the Boro and the Santantadibe.
The dry sandy interior of this 1 000 sq km island is full of
very tall mopane trees interspersed with clay pans.
Elephant are numerous here, particularly during the dry season
when they migrate from nearby Chobe National Park in search
of water. Other wildlife includes buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard,
cheetah, wild dog, hyena, jackal and a full range of antelope,
large and small, including the red lechwe. The only free-roaming
rhino in Botswana are those recently introduced to the Mombo
area of Chief's Island. Wild dog, whose numbers are so rapidly
dwindling elsewhere, are regularly sighted, and it is claimed
that the Moremi contains about 30% of all living wild dog. They
have been subject to a research project run in the area
since 1989 so these animals are often seen wearing collars.
Around the reserve are a number of long bridges, constructed
entirely out of mopane poles, which rattle and shake as vehicles
pass over them. These bridges are also used by the game to get
onto the permanent higher ground and it’s not uncommon
to see lion strolling over them to cross a floodplain when
it’s full of water.
There are three unfenced campsites in the reserve, and as the
animals frequently hunt for prey at night, staying here will
definitely make you feel that you are in the heart of wildest
Africa.
Mokoro (dug-out canoe) trips are on offer. Here you’ll
have a good chance of spotting some of Moremi’s 550 species
of birds. Keep an eye on the sandy riverbanks for hippos
and crocs!
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