Page 30 - Discover Botswana 2021

Above: As the flood spreads across the Delta aquatic bird life flourishes. African Jacanas are a common sight and are wide spread darting their way across lily pads and flushing out their next meal of mostly insects and other invertebrates.
Right: Filming in the Okavango Delta is no easy task with many an obstacle to overcome. Vehicles get bogged and tyre punctures are numerous. The rewards come from being in the right place and the right time to record behaviour to share with a global audience.
limbs, while their predators’ cubs shake raindrops off matted fur in frustration. As these youngsters grow, the rain clouds dissolve, surrendering to clear skies, and floodwaters begin to trickle in from the heart of the Delta. 11-trillion litres of water spill out from the papyrus swamps of the north to the forests of the south, sending replenishing nutrients sweeping through their sandy beds. As the water ebbs and flows, a tapestry of habitats is born, unlike anywhere else on earth.
Myriad birds herald the arrival of the flood, their calls mingling with the splash of red lechwe as they bound across the fresh waterways. Bellowing hippos follow, announcing their presence as they prepare to fight for the best spots on the river. Crocodiles
lurk beneath the surface, underwater forests flourish, and fish dart excitedly around their new homes. As the hippos wade downriver, and the elephants rejoice in the cool shallows, they forge new waterways that determine where the flood goes next. Strangely though, it is the termites that decide where the water stays. Their mounds are the result of thousands of individuals working together under a king and queen. It is their activity that fragments the Okavango into 15,000 islands, forcing prey and predator into even closer proximity.
The floodwaters must sustain the Okavango over the long, dry months of winter until the rains return. Winter proceeds steadily, with cool, bright days, and freezing nights carpeting the Delta in shining layers of frost.
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