Game Viewing in the Okavango Delta

The 4x4 vehicle quietly creaks to a halt next to a primeval scene: a pride of lions has just bought down an old male buffalo. The crisp morning air is tight with tension, the lions are bloodied and exhausted, the buffalo has given up the fight but the rest of the herd mill about in anger and confusion. The whoop of a spotted hyena announces the arrival of the lion's mortal enemy, jackals are already squabbling amongst themselves and vultures silently drift in to adorn a nearby tree. Another African day has broken in the Okavango.

The Delta is rich in wildlife - the wetlands and seasonal swamps support a diverse range of animals concentrated in an area of lush vegetation and scenic beauty. All lodges offer game viewing, whether from the comfort of a camp tree hide, a river trip, walking trail or a 4x4 vehicle. Game viewing activities take place to coincide with when the animals are at their most active: early to mid- morning, late afternoon and early evening, and in some areas, at night.

Game drive vehicles are equipped both for the rugged terrain of the Delta and their occupants. High off the ground, with open sides and roof, the 4x4s are a great platform for game viewing. Motorboats give you the chance to go game viewing in wetland areas, good for hippo and crocodile as well as sightings of semi aquatic sitatunga or red lechwe antelope, or the more unusually, elephants crossing a river, or otters peering at you across a lagoon.

The size of the Delta and the protection afforded by the Moremi Game Reserve and adjoining wildlife concession areas means that very high numbers of large mammals are found here. That protection, coupled with a shift away from hunting and towards photographic safaris, has also acclimatised animals to the presence of humans. Visitors often remark on how close you can get to the wildlife in the Delta, how unperturbed many animals are by their presence. It all makes for great photographic imagery and a chance to observe African wildlife close up.

Game viewing in the Delta is influenced by a number of factors: There are seasonal movements of large mammals - particularly elephant and buffalo - and the peak rainy months (December to March) see some move away from the Okavango Delta and into the remote wilderness areas to the northeast and south.

During the rainy season some roads, and indeed entire areas, may be inaccessible. The bush becomes thick and green, making it more difficult to spot game. The bird watching however is at its best at this time of year.

The opposite is true in the dry season: as the rest of Botswana bakes under a cloudless sky, animals migrate to the recently arrived floodwaters of the Delta. This is peak game viewing time in the Delta - surveys have produced estimated populations of over 260,000 large mammals here at these times.

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