Page 34 - Discover Botswana 25th Edition - 2025

34 www.discoverbotswanathebook.biz
OKAVANGO
Hyena. It seemed almost as if, in exchange for
leaving the Wild Dog pups alone, the adults had
to pay an Impala tax to the Hyena.
Whether you are a first-time visitor, or an old
hand at the Okavango, I hope you have a few
moments on your next safari where something
beautiful or inspiring happens. Something that
you will remember for the rest of your life!
To paraphrase Mark Twain: Travel is fatal to
indifference. Once you have been touched by the
wilderness you will know why we must never
lose it. The properties I speak of are ephemeral.
Hard to quantify, but you know it when you see
it, touch it, or hear it.
When humans first settled on the fringes
of the Okavango, no domestic livestock could
venture into its heart because of the dreaded
Tsetse fly. This all changed in the early 1980s
when widespread aerial spraying eradicated the
Tsetse. Although pastoral tribes have herded
their livestock on the periphery for centuries, it
is only in the last 4 decades that the Okavango
has come under threat from overutilization of its
resources. Yet it continues to flourish.
Previous pages: African buffalo charge across the shallow floodplains of the Okavango Delta. Diversity of life
here plays out in a mosaic of land and water.
Above (top): A bull elephant crosses one of the many waterways in the delta system. Life giving flood waters
from Angola brings the Kalahari to life providing sanctuary for many species of flora and fauna.
Below: Pods of hippopotamus arise at dusk after a day of restful state in the cooling waters of the delta.
Their ritual calls can be heard across the land as day turns to night.
Facing page: Water is life in the delta as a herd of zebra arrives for a quick drink. Ears pricked up, they are
acutely aware of any predators that may loom close by.