LINYATI WILD RESERVES
editLOCATION
editThe Linyanti Wildlife Reserve consists of 125,000 hectares of pristine wildlife area. It is bordered by the Linyanti River in the north and the Chobe National Park in the east. Across the Linyanti River northwards lies Namibia's Caprivi strip. Two thirds of the Savute channel is situated within the reserve. This area is very different from the Okavango Delta and should be included in every Botswana safari itinerary so that travellers have a more complete and varied experience of the country's different wildlife areas. This private reserve is enormous and in one of the most remote and inaccessible parts of Botswana. The region is one of the least visited and most pristine corners of Botswana and the concession owners intend to keep it this way. The Linyanti region is shared between a very small number of private camps, ensuring that guests are able to view the abundant wildlife privately and exclusively.
Renowned Wildlife Area
editThe Linyanti region is the dry season (June through October) range of much of Chobe's wildlife, and huge concentrations of migratory species such as Zebra and Elephant can be seen. The Linyanti area is also renowned for its predators, particularly lions and hyenas. Derek and Beverly Joubert made this region famous in their National Geographic films ("Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas", "Zebras: Patterns in the Grass", "Lions of Darkness", "Wildlife Warriors" and others). The Linyanti has a wonderful diversity of habitat that makes it a haven for wildlife. There are open grasslands and waterholes along the Savute channel and along the Linyanti river. Inland are spectacular mature woodlands - towering mopane and leadwood forests which is where one will find the massive herds of elephant in the winter months.
The Linyanti's waters weave and meander as they make their way eastward towards Chobe and along its way form a myriad of pools and lagoons which are favored by Hippos, Crocodiles and incredible birdlife. These pools also attract game from the dry lands to the east, for out of the rainy season they hold the first permanent waters to be found. In the early evening, with youngsters in tow, several breeding herds of Elephant usually gather to the pools along the Linyanti to enjoy a drink and to wallow and frolic in the mudholes.
As mentioned, this area abounds with Lion and Elephant, but there are large concentrations of Buffalo and the antelopes such as Red Lechwe, Tsessebe, Impala and Kudu. The less seen species such as Sable Antelope and Roan Antelope are also regularly encountered in this area. The Linyanti also has high concentrations of Giraffe, which love to feed on the abundant acacia trees along the floodplains, while Cheetahs find the open areas of the Savute channel perfect for running down their prey.
The Selinda Spillway
editThe Selinda (or Magweqana) Spillway is a shallow channel connecting the Panhandle region of the Okavango Delta with the Chobe River system. The Spillway flows only in years of high waters. Contrary to popular belief, the spillway flows only in one direction, from the Okavango to the Chobe. Legend has it that it flows in either direction depending upon water levels in the two systems, but this is not likely as the Okavango side is 30 metres higher than on the Chobe/Linyanti side.
REFERENCES
edithttp://www.namibian.org/travel/rivers/chobe-river.html
http://www.go2africa.com/botswana/okavango-delta
http://www.eyesonafrica.net/african-safari-botswana/linyanti-info.htm