Page 31 - Discover Botswana 25th Edition - 2025

DISCOVER BOTSWANA 25TH EDITION 31
OKAVANGO
Previous pages: The call of the African fish eagle, synonymous with Africa, can be heard
ringing out across the floodplains of the Okavango Delta. The delta is a wetland of global
importance providing sanctuary for these formidable and territorial birds of prey.
Facing page: Botswana is one of the major strongholds for the critically endangered African
Wild Dog. These extremely social pack hunters are extraordinary hunters and northern
Botswana is one of the best places to see them.
Above (top): Apex predators like the Spotted hyena compete with each other for prey
resources. Although formidable hunters in their own right, they too will take advantage of
other predator’s kills by scavenging.
Above: African Wild Dog packs can number anywhere between a few individuals and as many
as forty. Large packs will make multiple kills early morning and late afternoon to collectively
sustain them.
The aforementioned library of information
may answer these questions, but what is much
harder to quantify is the aesthetic appeal of the
Okavango. I think Chief Seattle (allegedly) said
it best: “If all the beasts were gone, man would
suffer a great loneliness of the spirit, for whatever
happens to the beasts soon happens to man”.
The sheer diversity of species that live in
the Okavango is astonishing, especially if you
consider that it sits on infertile sand. It relies
on the annual arrival of waters from Angola
depositing nutrients which are the foundation
for this pyramid of life. One of the best examples
where this happens is at the northern end of
Chief ’s Island at Mombo where the array of
species and their intertwined behavior is on full
display.
The photographer whose images grace this
article witnessed some very unusual behavior
on multiple occasions while staying at Mombo
in August 2023. A pack of Wild Dogs apparently
tolerating a clan of Spotted Hyena (Crocuta
crocuta) resting very close to their den where
the alpha female Wild Dog was ensconced with
pups. Once the Wild Dogs started hunting, as
they do morning and evening, the hyena tagged
along behind. As soon as the Wild Dog had made
a kill, the Hyena would steal it. The Wild Dogs
would then continue hunting until they made a
kill that they could feed on, in peace from the