Page 46 - Discover Botswana 2021

Breath-taking is a phrase so often used to describe the Linyanti that it may seem repetitive, but it is real - the area will always take your breath away. It could be the grandeur of the landscape during the rainy season, the hundreds of elephants spread across the open floodplain during the dry season, or the peaceful grazing of the
herds that never stops. Back in 1849 David Livingstone must have been astounded by the sheer beauty before his eyes as he stumbled on the Linyanti Marsh, especially after the bitter disappointment of the drying Savuti River, just a few miles south, which he described as truly dismal. This waterway is not just a source of extreme natural beauty, it is the thin thread of life that determines survival for the abundant wildlife in the area.
The Linyanti area has a rather complex geography. It stretches from the western border of the Chobe National Park to the Linyanti Marsh. The major influence here is the Kwando River, being the biggest source of water for the area. After crossing into Botswana, the Kwando meanders in a southerly direction towards the Linyanti fault-line. Upon meeting the fault-line at a perpendicular angle the water turns east towards the Chobe National Park. Some of the water, however, spills backwards to form the Linyanti Marsh, which stretches south-westerly, and in turn eventually spills into the Zibidianja Lagoon.
Facing Page: With its prey safely stashed in the branches above from competing ground predators, this Leopard was kept alert due to a pair Yellow billed Kite’s attempts at getting a morsel of the kill from the air.
46 www.discoverbotswanathebook.biz