Chobe National Park is the third-largest national park in Botswana, covering an area of 11,700 square kilometers. This park comprises four distinct wildlife areas: Chobe Riverfront, Savuti, Linyanti, and Nogatsaa Pans.
Chobe National Park offers a striking variety in vegetation, influencing both the wildlife and the experiences it offers. In Linyanti, you’ll encounter an environment with an almost tropical marsh-like vegetation and Mopani forests. In contrast, Savuti features a drier landscape characterized by grasslands and scattered hillocks, not to mention the iconic Savuti channel and arid marsh area. Then there’s the Chobe Floodplain area and the surrounding woodlands, transitioning to the black cotton soils and acacia scrub adorned with mopani and combretum in Nogatsaa.
SIZE
11,700 km²
ESTABLISHED
1967
WILDLIFE AREAS
The Chobe River traverses the national park along its northern side. The Serondela area, also known as Chobe Riverfront, occupies the far northeastern portion of the park. Its primary geographical features consist of lush floodplains and dense woodlands, including mahogany, teak, and other hardwoods, which have been significantly reduced due to substantial elephant pressure.
Running along the park’s northeastern border, the Chobe River serves as a critical water source, particularly during the dry season (from May to October), attracting sizable breeding herds of elephants, along with giraffe, sable, and Cape buffalo families. The floodplains uniquely host the puku antelope, a sight not commonly found elsewhere in Botswana. Bird enthusiasts also find this area rewarding, with a notable presence of carmine bee-eaters during their season. When flooding occurs, the region becomes a haven for spoonbills, ibises, diverse stork species, ducks, and various waterfowl.
Due to its proximity to Kasane, Victoria Falls, Livingstone, this section of Chobe National Park is among the most frequently visited in particular the eastern side.
The town of Kasane, the primary settlement in the region and serves as the northern gateway to the park. Kasane International Airport is serviced by regional carriers along with domestic flights. Road access to Kasane is via tarred road from principally Nata, Vic Falls and Livingstone.
The Savuti Marsh area covers 10,878 square kilometers (4,200 square miles) and constitutes the western expanse of the park, situated 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Mababe Gate.
The Savuti Marsh is a vestige of a once-vast inland lake, its water supply severed by tectonic shifts long ago. Presently, the marsh intermittently receives nourishment from the erratic Savuti Channel. This channel experiences prolonged periods of drying up, followed by unexpected flows due to tectonic activity in the vicinity. Not currently flowing, the last time it reached Savuti Marsh was in January 2010, marking the first occurrence since 1982. This fluctuating flow has led to numerous dead trees lining the channel’s banks. The area is characterized by expansive savannahs and undulating grasslands, infusing this part of the park with vibrant wildlife activity.
During the winter seasons, safari-goers frequently encounter various wildlife species, including warthogs, kudus, impalas, zebras, wildebeests, and herds of elephants. In the summer season, the park’s rich birdlife, totaling 450 species across the entire park, is prominently on display. Sightings of prides of lions, hyenas, zebras, and occasionally cheetahs are also common. This region is renowned for the annual migration of zebras and predators.
The Savuti is recognised as one of Africa’s prime locations to spot the rare and endangered African wild dog. These canines operate and hunt in packs, showcasing remarkable efficiency as predators.
Lions thrive in the Savuti. National Geographic filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert have spent over two decades documenting lion behavior in this area. In the past, Savuti lions formed extensive prides and cooperated to take down elephants as prey. While this behavior is now less frequent, the unpredictability of the wild environment keeps possibilities open.
During the summer season, an abundance of zebras congregates in large herds, drawn to the lush grasslands. They are accompanied by a variety of herbivores, including kudus, impalas, wildebeests, warthogs, and hippos, all seeking the fresh, verdant grass. These examples showcase the diverse array of mammals, both large and small, that populate the Savuti region.
A wild and remote region of Botswana:
Among the four Chobe regions, this is arguably the least scenic and indeed rarely frequented. It stands as a true wilderness, as wild and remote as one can experience. The vegetation predominantly comprises mopani and mixed combretum veld, interspersed with numerous clay pans. It’s the presence of this black clay soil that renders access to this region particularly demanding during the summer months following rains. However, in autumn and winter, the pans holding water provide exceptional game-viewing opportunities—some of these pans even feature hides for observing wildlife up close.
Situated at the northwest corner of the park and to the north of Savuti, the Linyanti Marsh is adjacent to the Linyanti River.
The Linyanti region within Chobe National Park remains a rarely explored expanse in this distant wilderness. An accurate depiction would be “The concealed sanctuary within Chobe National Park.”
It’s possible that its seclusion contributes to the genuine feeling of untouched wilderness that engulfs you upon your visit to this area. In contrast to other parts of Botswana, the presence of camps and lodges is scarce and widely dispersed.
The Selinda Reserve lies to the southwest of this area, while Namibia’s Nkasa Rupara National Park is situated on the northern bank of the Kwando River. Surrounding these two rivers are riverine woodlands, open woodlands, and lagoons. The remaining part of the region is mainly composed of flood plains.
Noteworthy inhabitants of this area include substantial concentrations of lion prides, leopards, African wild dogs, roan antelopes, sable antelopes, hippos, and herds of African bush elephants. Furthermore, lechwes, sitatungas, and Nile crocodiles also thrive in this region. The area is abundant in bird diversity.
Between the Linyanti and Savuti Marshes extends a hot and arid hinterland, primarily occupied by the Nogatsaa grass woodland. This section is relatively less explored and provides an exceptional opportunity for observing elands.
Safari Selections Botswana offers a range of activities for all safari lovers.
