Chobe National Park (Botswana)

Chobe National Park is located in Botswana's northern part. The park is Botswana's most biologically diverse and has one of Africa's largest concentrations of game. It covers a total area of 11700 km2 (4500 mi2), ranking it the country's 3rd largest - after "Central Kalahari Game Reserve" and "Gemsbok National Park". Chobe was also the first national park of Botswana (established in 1967).

The park is divided in four areas.

(1) The northeastern part is Serondela (where the Chobe River is). In the lush food plains and dense woodlands live large groups of elephants, giraffes, cape buffaloes. This is also Botswana's only area where can be seen puku antelopes. Among the bird species are carmine bee eaters, ibis, storks, ducks. Due to its close proximity to Victoria Falls (Zambezi River, at the Zambia-Zimbabwe border) and Kasane, this is also the park's most visited section, Kasane is the region's largest town and the entrance to the park.

(2) The western part is the Savuti Marsh (former inland lake). The marsh is fed by the Savuti Channel. However, its flow is very variable. The last flow was in 2010, which reached the marsh for the first time since 1982. The landscape is marked by extensive savannahs and grasslands. On safaris are often spoted zebras, kudus, impalas, warthogs, elephants, lions, hyenas, rarely cheetahs.

(3) The northwestern part is the Linyanti Marsh. To the west is the Selinda Reserve. The landscape features lagoons, riverine and open woodlands, flood plains. Here can be seen large concentrations of lions and leopards, African wild dogs, sable antelopes, hippopotami, crocodiles, also large herds of elephants.

(4) The park's 4th section is located between the marshes Linyanti and Savuti. This area is hot and dry, and occupied mainly by grass woodland. This section is the best place to observe common elands.

Chobe National Park is best known worldwide for its enormous (Africa's largest) population of elephants (~50,000). Known as Kalahari (dessert) elephants, they feature short tusks and brittle ivory. During dry season (May through October), the elephants sojourn in the areas of Chobe River and Linyanti River (flowing through Angola and Namibia and into the Linyanti Swamp). On the next photo is the houseboat cruise ship Zambezi Queen on Chobe River.

Chobe National Park cruise terminal