Selinda

Linking the Okavango Delta and the Linyanti Swamps in northern Botswana is the unpopulated paradise of the Selinda Reserve. Here one can experience the remoteness of an undiscovered environment. The reserve stretches over 1,350 km² of immaculate wilderness and features the Zibalianja Lagoon, the lifeblood of the region.

The Selinda Spillway (Magwegqana) is an ephemeral waterway flowing away from the lagoon towards the Okavango Delta in the southwest. The lagoon is home to high concentrations of hippo, a favourite catch for the region's lion. This is probably the only place in the world where lion hunt hippo. Game viewing in the region is superb and includes cheetah, leopard, elephant, giraffe, kudu, impala, sable, wild dog, hyena and lechwe.

Hunting and poaching led to a severe drop in certain game populations, but recently stricter management has been enforced and numbers are growing again. Birdlife in the region is plentiful, with over 300 species recorded. The Selinda supports a variety of habitats, ranging from open plains to forests of palms, ancient baobabs and woodlands of leadwood and mopane - a favourite hideaway for elephants.

Wilderness Safaris operate Selinda and Zibalianja Camps and walking safaris. Because the Selinda Reserve is a concession area it is not bound by the restrictions of the national parks. This means that visitors can take night drives, on which there is the thrilling opportunity to see more game, including rarely-seen leopard, porcupine and aardvark.

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