Highlights of Chobe National Park in Botswana

Chobe National Park is often frowned upon by African safari aficionados when compared alongside other wildlife viewing areas of Botswana. As a national park rather than a private concession, it is accessible via a variety of camps and lodges, rather than just the camps on the concession itself, hence it attracts larger crowns. In our opinion, however, Chobe along with Savute is worthy of consideration when planning your Botswana safari.

Night drives are not possible in Chobe due to its National Park status, and there are strict opening hours when safari-goers can access it. Game drives are also restricted to the various tracks that access the different corners of the park.

Wildlife Spotting in Chobe National Park

• Chobe has the highest concentration of elephants in Africa, estimated at around 70,000. The elephants are Kalahari elephants which are largest in stature with brittle ivory and short tusks.
• Other wildlife in the park consists of buffalo, a variety of antelope and grazers including giraffe, impala, duiker, kudu and even eland, sable and roan.
• Predators include wild dog and cheetah (although not seen regularly), healthy prides of lions and leopards.
• Rhinos are unfortunately no longer present in the park.

Birds of Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park, located in northern Botswana, is a paradise for bird enthusiasts, hosting over 450 species of birds.

Chobe River

With a permanent water source in the form of the Chobe River, Chobe is big game country. Located in the north-east of the park, from June to November, it is inundated with some of the largest buffalo and elephant herds on the African continent, with migratory herds coming from as far away as Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. This is truly a wildlife experience not to be missed and it all takes place in the amazing setting of the Chobe Riverfront. During the wet season months the game disperses through the deeper regions of the National Park. Boat and sundowner cruises here add a different dimension to your experience, as you glide past gigantic crocodiles, fish eagles, monitor lizards and elephants drinking.

Savute

Located in the south-western stretch of Chobe, enchanting Savute covers 1,900 square miles and is known for its high concentration of predators, in particular its pride of lions that has adapted to hunting elephants. The intriguing Savute marsh was once fed by a section of the Linyanti River, but is nowadays generally dry, despite being known to mysteriously dry up or flood irrespective of local rains. Today, parts of the Savute are parched and almost desert-like in their appearance. However, there are grassland areas and pans which retain water for months after the rains, enticing animals and birds to stay well into the drier months from May to November.

Other predators that exist in numbers include large numbers of spotted hyenas and, rather surprisingly, a number of leopard who favour the rocky outcrops that are present in the area. Giraffe, impala, wildebeest, buffalo, kudu, wild dog and tsessebe are all other animals you can expect to see in the Savute region.