Private Wildlife Reserves - Okavango Delta
There are a number of superb private concessions within the Okavango Delta. Here we highlight a few of the prime areas and the camps nestled within them:
Chitabe Concession
The Chitabe Concession comprises 28,000 hectares of pristine Okavango wilderness. It borders the well known Moremi Game Reserve and is nestled between two main river systems; the Gomoti to the east and the Santantadibe to the west. What makes Chitabe unique to some of the other areas in the Okavango Delta is that it contains such a variety of habitats within close proximity.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
A finger of perennial swamps extends into the Chitabe concession, which is inundated by water throughout the year. The area is also dominated by seasonally flooded areas which transform 56% of the concession from dry floodplains into a lush oasis when the annual flood waters meander through. The variety of habitat ranges from the classic Okavango scenery, with Illala Palms dotting the landscape, to open savannahs and acacia woodlands. This gives rise to a surprising diversity of species.
Wildlife in the area includes elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and cheetah. Wild dog are also found here. Plains game includes zebra, reedbuck, giraffe, kudu and impala. Night drives can be very rewarding, giving rare opportunities to view animals such as pangolin, civet, serval, porcupine and aardwolf.
Kwara Concession
The 1,700 square kilometre Kwara Concession is located within the remote north-eastern part of the Okavango Delta and shares a 30 kilometre water boundary with Moremi Game Reserve. The concession has permanent water and seasonal flood plains as well as extensive dry bush wilderness. Habitats range from the clear Delta waters with reed-lined lagoons and channels, to open grasslands, mopane woodlands and palm-fringed islands.
Image supplied courtesy of Kwando Safaris
The Kwara area is home to a variety of animals including lechwe, sitatunga, reedbuck, bushbuck, hippo, crocodile, elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, impala and tsessebe. The endangered sable and roan can also be found here. Lion, hyena, wild dog, leopard and cheetah are abundant in this part of the Delta and regularly seen.
The area offers excellent birding opportunities and species you can encounter through the channels and rivers include herons, storks, kingfishers, pygmy geese, fish eagles, jacanas, darters and, if you're really fortunate, the elusive Pel’s fishing owl.
Kwedi Reserve
This private concession is situated in the extreme north of the Okavango and is known locally as the Kwedi Reserve.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
The vegetation ranges from the vast open flood plains to dense mopane bushveld and offers spectacular game viewing and birding opportunities all year round.
The area has both the wetland and savannah species of wildlife, including red lechwe, waterbuck, hippos, crocodiles, as well as sable, kudu, wildebeest and tsessebe who roam the open plains. Herds of buffalo and elephant also occur here, along with the major predators - lion, leopard, wild dog and cheetah. Guests who enjoy their birding will love the combination of all the Okavango water "specials" with acacia and dry woodland species.
The entire Kwedi area of over 100,000 hectares has been ceded by the Botswana Government and the Tawana Land Board to the people who live along the Okavango's northern boundary so that they can derive direct benefits from the wildlife and the environment on their doorstep. Wilderness Safaris is the joint venture partner with the Okavango Community Trust, and manages the lodges and tourism activities in this area.
Jao Concession
The 60,000 hectare Jao Reserve is located in the north-western area of the Okavango Delta directly below the panhandle. The Moremi Game Reserve forms the eastern boundary of the reserve.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
Lying as it does in the very heart of the Delta, the Jao Reserve embodies all the magic and mystique of the Okavango. Narrow water channels cut their way through the papyrus and reed beds in the permanent delta to the north and east of the reserve, providing the perfect environment for the elusive sitatunga and the rare Pel's fishing owl. Beautiful lush palm islands dot the water, begging to be explored. In the central region of the reserve, vast open floodplains provide some of the most stunning scenery of the region. This area of the reserve has beautiful islands fringed with riverine forests. Further west the reserve gets progressively dryer and Hunda Island which is the tip of a large sand tongue is the largest area of dry land during the flood season. Hunda Island has sandveld vegetation supporting many species of nutritious acacia and grewia shrubs which provide excellent browsing.
A variety of habitats ensures diverse and interesting game viewing. The wildlife depends largely on the water levels in the area. The lagoons are home to hippo and crocodile and the permanent waterways and floodplains attract large numbers of waterfowl. In the permanent waters, sitatunga can be tracked silently by mokoro.
From October to March the waters subside and extensive green open plains are the highlight. This is when the game viewing is the most diverse. Lion, cheetah and leopard are plentiful, while tsessebe, red lechwe, zebra, giraffe, warthog and wildebeest dot the flood plains. Large herds of buffalo move in and out of the reserve at will. Night drives are good for spotting creatures not often seen such as porcupine, spotted hyena, pangolin, spring hares, bushbabies, civet and genets.
During the winter months, the water levels at Jao rise and the savannah areas become inundated with water. Huge herds of lechwe can be found on the floodplains and the lion prides are adept at hunting and drowning their prey in the water. Leopards are still often seen and elephants are more prevalent at this time. Plains game such as impala, zebra, wildebeest and tsessebe stick to the dry islands.
Nxabega Concession
Nxabega is a 7,000 hectare private concession located on the edge of the Okavango Delta on the western border of the Moremi Game Reserve. Meaning “Place of the Giraffe” in the language of the Bayei (or River Bushmen), Nxabega is ideally positioned to explore the magnificence of the Okavango.
Image supplied courtesy of &Beyond
Nxabega offers abundant bird watching opportunities – the area is rich in wetland species such as African jacana, malachite kingfisher and openbilled stork. The fortunate will see a sight coveted by birders globally – Pel’s fishing owl, one of only three fishing owls in Africa, which might be spotted while cruising the Delta waterways by powerboat.
Larger herbivores in the area include elephant and buffalo. Lion prides, cheetah, leopard and African wild dog may be encountered. Herds of red lechwe favour the edges of floodplains, often feeding in the company of tsessebe. Hippos reside in deeper channels and lagoons. Honey badgers are observed during daylight hours. Roan and sable antelope favour taller grass in open woodlands while the elusive sitatunga keeps to dense papyrus beds. Families of dwarf and banded mongoose occupy large termite mounds. Noisy epauletted fruit bats sip nectar from baobab and sausage tree blooms and feast on ripe figs.
Sandibe Concession
Sandibe is a 270 square kilometre private concession located on permanent Okavango Delta channels adjacent to the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, east of Chief’s Island.
Image supplied courtesy of &Beyond
This is a land of Okavango channels glinting through a maze of brilliant green papyrus, and golden-grassed floodplains stretching into the distance - framed by lush palm islands and the spires of giant termite mounds. Ancient baobabs, some still bearing a winding garland of climbing pegs used many years ago by the Bayei (River Bushmen), are a feature of this area.
During the dry winter months, from May to November, an abundant array of wildlife is drawn to this oasis in search of water and food. This area enjoys a prime location between permanent water and the open plains, providing an excellent big game-viewing experience during the thirsty season.
By October the seasonal Delta is shrinking and the land longs for water. With the rain, tortoises, frogs, chameleons and dung beetles rejoice. This is also the season for the arrival of the birds. Waterbirds flock to the marshes – storks, herons, kingfishers and brightly-coloured bee-eaters.
Whether slipping silently through the waterlily-adorned corridors in a mokoro or eco-craft, Sandibe and the Okavango will mesmerise you with their magic. |
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Central Kalahari