Adventures in Botswana: Wildlife of the Delta

Wildlife viewing in Botswana is an unparalleled experience in witnessing the majesty of our planet. With the Okavango Delta's location at the northern part of the Kalahari Desert, there are so many different habitats in a small area supporting a rich environment: from sandveld, savannah, and salt pans to marshes and mopane woodland. During our time in the country, we saw over a hundred different animal species, often from just a few feet away. We also got the full “circle of life” experience, seeing animals mating, admiring babies, and witnessing fresh (and not-so-fresh) kills. This is what we came for, and Botswana did not disappoint.

Side note, this happened on
the last day of our trip...

The goal of most safari-goers is to spot the Big Five, the five most difficult and dangerous animals traditionally hunted by foot in the 19th and early 20th centuries: lion, leopard, cape buffalo, elephant, and rhinoceros. 

Unfortunately, the Okavango Delta no longer has wild rhinos; their population of white rhinos became extinct in 1900 but were reintroduced in 1967; poaching reduced their initially thriving numbers to just 19 individuals by the early 1990s. As a response, all remaining wild rhinos were relocated to a secure sanctuary, so you can't see them in the wild. But we did get to see the other four members of the Big Five, and it was a thrill.

We later saw these brothers in our camp

Because Botswana hosts a healthy population of lions, we were lucky enough to see them on nearly all of our game drives. There were multigenerational families, solitary males, lionesses with young cubs, and a group of brothers. 

The abundance and diversity of prey in the Okavango means these lions are bigger and stronger than the average puny African lion. There are prides that specialize in hunting larger animals like cape buffalo, while others prefer smaller game like impala or warthogs. 

It's always exciting to see animal babies, so we spent some time watching a group of two adult females (a mother and daughter) with two young cubs, about three months old and still nursing. 

Those cubs were adorable! Although that gash on mom's arm looked appalling...

But it already looked better the next day!

Lions are a remarkably resilient animal. One of the lionesses had an angry gash on her front leg, sustained during a hunt for warthog, her pride's speciality. She licked her wound clean using her rough, sandpapery tongue, helping her own healing with her saliva's antibacterial properties. And it must have worked, since we saw her hunting the following day.

Lions, the world's second largest cat, have a roar that can be heard over 5 miles away. We heard several near our campsite, which was slightly disconcerting!

GET OUTTA MY FACE!

Someone needs a napkin...

In my opinion, the most gorgeous of the Big Five animals is the leopard, with its golden fur covered in black rosettes. These elusive animals move with sleek and elegant grace, but with obvious power.

On one occasion, a solitary male leopard crossed the road right in front of us – pure luck or we would never have spotted him. He was skittish and wary of us, but our guide Master maneuvered us so that we could get a good view. He was amazingly camouflaged in the tall grass, and several times I lost sight when I took my eyes off him, only finding him again when he moved. We followed him down to a drinking hole, then up a small hill into the brush. We waited for him to come out – which he soon did, giving us an excellent look at his beautifully patterned coat.

Don't mess with the Boss.

Cape buffalo are large and imposing beasts with wickedly curved horns and the unsettling habit of staring at you with an intense gaze. They are sometimes called the "Black Death" or "The Widowmaker" because of their aggression, and they actually have an exceptional memory and will hold a grudge for years! 

Did you know? That horn structure that forms a helmet on the male buffalo's forehead is called the "boss." Both male and female buffalo have horns, as they are used not just for display but for defense (and offense!)

We saw many herds of cape buffalo grazing in and near the delta waters, usually with accompanying cattle egrets who like the insects stirred up by the buffalo's movements, or oxpeckers who feed on the parasites on the buffalo's skin. 

Elephants are one of the most prolific animals in the Okavango, with the area home to one of the largest populations on the continent. 

Elephants are surprisingly good swimmers

Elephants don't just live here in the delta, they play an important role in shaping the environment, modifying the land by carving channels and tearing down trees to open up forests. They are also vital in seed distribution, since their digestion is notoriously inefficient (they poop out nearly 60% of the food they eat), and many other animals root through elephant dung for undigested food.

The nutrient-rich delta supports abundant vegetation, and elephants love the diverse grasses, shrubs, and trees that thrive throughout the year. Not only did we see them tearing up mopane trees and wading in lagoons looking for delicious waterlilies, but an angry matriarch trumpeted at us (and her baby mimicked her, giving us an adorable toot!)

African elephants can live up to 70 years, and a fully grown adult generally has no predators; older elephants generally die from tooth loss leading to starvation. When we saw a number of vultures in the trees, we didn't immediately associate it with a nearby carcass. 

But there was a funky smell in the air... and then we turned a corner and saw a dead elephant, with a solitary male lion guarding his prize. According to our guide, it had died about two days earlier, most likely from old age.

In the trees above lurked dozens of vultures, waiting for their chance at dinner. For some reason the lion soon ran off, giving a black-backed jackal his turn and allowing the many white backed vultures and cape vultures their chance to swoop in. It was so interesting watching them try to chew through the tough skin and vying for prime position near open flesh. Later, a pack of spotted hyenas chased off the jackal and also had their feast.

Cape vulture

Spotted hyenas are messy eaters...

As if there wasn't enough to share...!

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While most people have the Big 5 as their ultimate checklist on safari, we decided to add the most ridiculous animals to our list. From David's wildlife book, we looked for the most elusive species... pangolins and aardvarks and cheetah. We'd added the sable antelope and sitatunga to our dream list as a joke - mainly because our book said they were rare and hard to find, and also because they had such cool looking horns. 

I knew we probably wouldn't see our dream list, but I was more than excited that we were successful in spotting what is known as the Ugly Five - the not-quite-as photogenic but equally important animals of Africa: hyena, marabou stork, vulture, warthog, and wildebeest. They may have a less-than-appealing image, but I love them all the same!

Just look at those ears!!

Hyenas, often thought of as purely scavengers, are actually adept hunters with a high success rate on their hunts. Their bite is legendary - with powerful jaws that produce a massive force, enough to crack open 2.5 inch bones and get to the marrow inside! They are also highly intelligent, socially complex, and extremely vocal - including that famed,  distinct laugh of the 'laughing,' or spotted hyena.

🎵 Isn't he looovelyyyy...Isn't he wonnnnderful? 🎶

Also called the 'nightmare' or 'undertaker' bird, the marabou stork is a hideously scabby 4-ft tall bird with a pock-marked bald head and flabby pink pouch dangling from its neck. They'll eat just about everything - they're scavengers, but they also hunt or steal for food - and they'll even eat garbage like metal parts and shoes. 

Their top-heavy bodies stand on spindly legs - which are actually dark grey, but most often seen as white because of a buildup of excrement - marabou storks poop on themselves because the evaporative cooling helps with their thermoregulation. Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

White backed vulture, lurking

I think human's innate dread of vultures comes from cartoons and comics. Their ominous presence is a sure sign of nearby death, since they feed primarily on carrion.  But vultures help clean up the ecosystem by preventing the diseases that would spread with all the dead bodies piling up. 

Their strong, sharp beaks are used to tear through tough animal hides. Most vultures have bald heads and necks, so that when they stick their heads inside a rotting carcass, they don't get guts stuck in their feathers. Why don't vultures get sick, if they're eating all that rotting flesh? They have digestive juices comparable to car battery acid, neutralizing pathogens like anthrax, botulism, and cholera. 

That sassy side-eye...!!

If there's one thing the Disney did right, it was to give warthogs a good name. 

Warthogs don't actually have warts - they have fleshy tubercles around their face. Their two pairs of distinctive tusks are actually canine teeth - one larger upper canine growing up into a semicircle, and one lower that is smaller but sharper used for digging and defense. Plus the also have the most luscious sideburns. My favorite thing about warthogs is their habit of sticking their tails straight up in the air when they run, the tufts at the end waving like flags. What's not to love?

Did you know? A group of wildebeest is a "confusion"!!

Wildebeest, aka gnu, are unique antelope with large heads, shaggy beards, and flowing manes. Like all wildebeest, those in the Okavango seasonally migrate, following the water from the Delta to the Makgadikgadi area. They're commonly found following zebra, and according to our guide Master, wildebeest aren't that smart and need the zebra to tell them where to go. In the clearing where we found a large herd, a group of wildebeest was randomly running in circles - according to Master, either for fun or maybe for practice, in case they are ever chased by predators. Oooo, fun!

For me, seeing the Ugly Five was just as fun and exciting as the Big Five. It highlights the diversity of wildlife, and the amazing adaptations that these organisms have developed in order to survive in this environment. And the sheer number of animals was mind-blowing! 

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Steenbok

During our drive home after sunset each evening, we had an opportunity to look for crepuscular and nocturnal animals with the use of a spotlight which would glint in a creature’s eyes. Predator eyes would generally flash orange or red, while prey animals shine green. We caught glimpses of a civet, genet, scrub hare, steenbok, and porcupines, (but sadly no aardvark or pangolin). My favorite was the delightfully hoppy spring hare, a tiny rodent that looks like a miniaturized kangaroo with a bushy, black-tipped tail. There were dozens spring-sprionging around in the fields as we drove by. 

Porcupine butt

Spring hare

Because the Okavango is so rich in wildlife, it became almost ordinary to see small herds of animals. Near the marshy ponds, there were waterbuck, hippos, and red lechwe; the savannah and woodland surprised us with impala, giraffe, kudu, cape buffalo, and elephants. As we drove through the scrubland we startled so many hornbills that eventually they became nothing special. And of course, when we ran across a dazzle (yes, dazzle!) of zebra, Anil was obligated to shout out "Zebra Crossing!!"

Kudu horns are my favorite!

Waterbuck are known for their 'toilet seat' rings and heart-shaped noses! 

Those wicked teeth are used exclusively for fighting, since hippo are vegetarians

Black-backed jackal

When the referees can't quite agree on a call...

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Traveling with people interested in biodiversity helped me appreciate the huge variety of birds that we’ve encountered. It’s always exciting to search for new (and particularly flamboyant) species, and David and I had fun pointing out fun sightings.

Lilac-breasted roller

Since I spent time with a knowledgeable and avid birder in Tanzania last year, I was familiar with many of the birds that we saw here in the Okavango. It also made me more observant - on the ride from the airport, we spotted the flash of vibrant blue and saw several colorful lilac breasted rollers sitting on the telephone lines.

Some of the highlights included an African hoopoe sharing food to what must have been its young (since it otherwise would never have given away such a tasty bug!), mating ostriches, and the African marsh harrier that caught and ate a frog. We saw a pair of my favorite birds, the secretary bird, who flew into a recently burned (actually, in some spots still burning) clearing – it must have been easy to find food in the exposed ground, since we also spotted a small group of Southern ground hornbills as well as a couple black backed jackals in the area. And it was also a thrill to hear (and see!!) the deep full-body grunt of Africa's largest owl, the Verreaux's eagle-owl - easily recognized by it's bright pink eyelids.

What a handsome secretary bird!

Verreaux's eagle-owl

Southern ground hornbill

Who better to teach us about the birds and the bees?

African hoopoe don't normally share... unless with their own babies

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My time in Botswana was nothing short of magical. There is something humbling about standing in a place where you are reminded just how small you are in the grand scheme of things. I’m deeply grateful to Anil, David, and Sam for sharing this journey with me—their curiosity, enthusiasm, and joy made each moment even more meaningful. 

Botswana left me in awe: the red-gold light of the sunset, the grunts and growls of hippos and lions at night, the quiet moments watching yellow-billed storks fishing for dinner. It’s a place that invites you to slow down, pay attention, and reconnect with nature. I'm already planning my return!

Adventures in Botswana: Into the Delta

Far north in the Planalto highlands of Angola, rains fall and gather into the tributaries of the Cuito and Cubango Rivers. They eventually become the Okavango River, flowing through the Namibia panhandle and into Botswana, where water slowly spreads into a vast alluvial delta in the northern Kalahari. 

Unlike most rivers that flow into an ocean or sea, the Okavango spreads fan-like into a huge inland area, soaking into the ground and forming permanent marshland and seasonally flooding plains. Because the altitude of the Angolan highlands is just 200 meters higher than Delta, it takes months for this rainwater to reach the flat Kalahari basin. During Botswana’s dry winter season, the waters in the Okavango lures hundreds of species into the maze of channels, islands, and lagoons. It is the perfect time for game viewing, and we did it in two locations in the Delta.

Traditionally, land in Botswana was divided up into private ‘concessions,’ hunting areas managed by private companies or local communities. They have transitioned into conservation and tourist areas, and only a handful of companies are allocated to each concession (and no self-drive tourists are allowed in), visiting them gives a more intimate experience. It was an absolute highlight to spend 3 nights wild camping near the Santantadibe River, on a piece of concession land called NG 32.

Our campsite was surprisingly comfortable given we had signed up for a “wild camping” experience. We were greeted each arrival with hot towels, and each canvas tent had its own private (albeit with no roof) bathroom in the back (although, we were warned to shine a light out before stepping out, since there were snakes and spiders that could drop down from the trees. On one side of the camp was a marshy area and watering hole that we were allowed to walk to, but the back side was forbidden as it was forested and we might get turned around and… well, eaten. And we weren’t allowed outside our tents at night, because who knows what might be prowling around.

But how wild was it really? True, we could hear crickets and frogs and hippos and the occasional hyena calling or elephant rustling all night long, but how close could they get? Turns out, pretty darn close. At lunch the next day, a herd of elephants came to drink in the watering hole, then another surrounded us at the back of camp. And early the following morning, four lion brothers surrounded the marsh, vocalizing to each other and coming alarmingly close to camp. None of the workers seemed bothered, but it definitely made for an exciting breakfast. 

Turns out, the lions were looking for breakfast too – and as we departed a few minutes later, we came across them gorging on their fresh Cape buffalo kill not far from camp.

NG 32 is a huge, 260,000 acre area in the southernmost part of the Delta, so it drier than many of the other areas of the Okavango. As we drove through, we passed open savannah with swathes of fragrant wild sage, stands of mopane or raintree scrubland (all a fairly consistent 10-12 ft tall; we assumed trimmed by elephants), woodland with jackalberry, knobthorn, raintree, leadwood, mopane, and the occasional palm tree.

Because most animals are crepuscular or nocturnal, we woke up each morning at 5:30 and were on our way by 6am, before sunrise. Although we were in the tropics, it was winter and the dry season in the desert so it was particularly cold in the early morning and evenings. Thick wool blankets and hot water bottles, which we called our ‘bushbabies,’ kept us warm until the sun came up. A second game drive in the afternoon meant another chance to spot wildlife, and we returned to camp each evening after dark.

Game drives in Africa are a feast of senses. For the most part, we rode around in open safari vehicles, bouncing and jostling and receiving an “African massage” as we made our way down rutted dirt roads. A fine powder of dust blows everywhere, and we all pulled up our scarves and buffs up to stop the dirt from going up our noses. But that didn’t block the strong, delicious scent of wild sage that I now associate with Botswana (nor did it keep out the sickly-sweet pungent tang of rotting elephant that we could smell from nearly half a kilometer away).

Master drove with one eye on the dirt, not just looking at animal tracks but following them and reading the stories of each creature. How he could identify the different footprints from a moving vehicle was amazing, and their direction gave guidance on where to go to spot different animals. In these concession lands outside the National Parks, you don’t have to stay on any established roads so we often veered into the bush in pursuit of elusive predators.

Explaining different animal tracks

Our favorite experience was tracking a hunting pack of African wild dogs – they were high on our “wish list” and Master was determined to find them. These endangered predators are difficult to spot, since they roam across enormous home ranges. In the far distance, small herds of impala had been racing across the plains, movement that told Master something had spooked them. He soon found dog tracks, and we spend the next half hour driving in wide loops, sometimes reversing as he spotted another fresh set of prints. When we came upon our own tire tracks with newly laid tracks on top, he was frustrated – if we had just stayed put, they would have run right into us!

Then, as Master was talking to a small group of people camping in the trees, David suddenly spotted movement ahead of us. A wild dog, racing across about 50 yards ahead of us! It quickly ran along a thicket of trees, then turned into the thick brush. It was a brief sighting but exhilarating, nonetheless. Master was disappointed that we couldn’t follow as there was no way around to follow, but we were all thrilled that we caught that quick glimpse of this amazing predator! Master was truly a master of tracking and wildlife spotting.

An experience I really enjoyed was floating down the river channels by mokoro. A mokoro is a dugout canoe, traditionally made with a hardwood like a sausage tree or leadwood (but is now usually made from fiberglass). A poler stands at one end, maneuvering the craft through the waterways. The banks of the streams were lined with various sedges, grasses, and reeds, and the channels were filled with waterlilies and other aquatic plants. It was a peaceful way to experience the delta, away from the dust and noise of the safari vehicles, and getting close to the water.

Unseen male swamp boubou whistle single, flute-like calls in their attempt to attract a mate. As the sun begins to set, tiny reed frogs join the chorus with their hollow wooden-bell chirps. 

Termites in elephant poop

Male giraffe poop

We also got a chance to go on a bushwalk to truly experience the land. We were told to wear neutral colors and to walk in a single file line, so as not to startle any wildlife. It was nerve-racking when a nearby palm tree was violently shaken, especially since we couldn't see the offending elephant that was hidden in the brush underneath.

We learned to identify different kinds of scat - the most interesting was the male giraffe, distinguished from the female giraffe poop by the little knob on one end, as well as the elephant dung that hosted a new colony of termites feasting on all the undigested bark. We examined a sausage tree and admired how heavy the 'sausage' fruit was (and hoped one didn't fall on our heads as we stood underneath!), and looked for dung beetles.

Slaughter by sausage tree

A lovely leisurely lunch

On our way back to camp, we stopped in Ditshiping, Master's home village. We visited the school (where children aged 3-6 were attending - after age 7, they were shipped off to Maun for further schooling). It was impressive that they could recite the names and definitions of all the shapes, especially given English wasn't their home language! 

The village was clean and well maintained, with two communal water pumps that were powered by solar panels. Most of the houses were built in the traditional way, with sedge thatched roofs and mud walls built over a mopane wood frame. 

After touring the village, we had a music and dance performance and we joined in with dancing. Even though it seems like this is something they do for every tourist, they seemed bashful and Master was strangely delighted to watch us dance. All in all, a fun experience and a lovely way to end our time in NG 32.

Our final lodge was along the Khwai River near the Moremi Game Reserve on the northern boundary of the Delta. In an unexpected surprise, we transferred over via helicopter instead of the small prop plane that we were expecting. Getting to ride in a helicopter meant we flew at a lower elevation and slower, so we had an amazing bird's eye view of the delta. (And, in fact, I spotted a couple large birds soaring through the sky below us!) From up high, it was much more obvious that we were in the dry season, with the golden brown of dried grass and dirt dominating the landscape, with dark ribbons of water winding through.

Can you spot the elephant family?

Khwai is a much more touristy area with multiple lodges and fewer animals, but our lodge at Khwai Expeditions Camp was a lovely place to relax and wind down. David and I continued going on game drives each day, and while we didn’t see the abundance of wildlife that was in NG 32, there was always something new and exciting that made it interesting.

A wee croc with wee teeth

We were able to take a boat trip to Xakanaxa, one of the permanent lagoons along the Maunachira River. With a permanent water source, the marsh grasses were much taller, and there were reeds, hippo grass, and papyrus lining the channels. Several Nile crocodile swam in the waters, including a tiny baby that was about a week old. 

There were so many different water birds, including the world's smallest goose, the pygmy goose, African jacana, and a black-shouldered kite. It was exciting to see a African marsh harrier catch and eat a frog.

It's a baaaad day to be that frog...

Before we'd set off, we pulled out David's wildlife book and found more elusive species to put on our wish list to see. Although it was unlikely, we decided we wanted to add a spotted-necked otter, a charmingly cute river otter with a spotted white bib on its chest. And of course, we still needed to see David's sitatunga, the shaggy-coated water antelope with thick spiral horns. This was the sitatunga's habitat, but the book claimed that sitatunga were shy animals that could swim underwater when trying to evade predators. It would be a miracle if we saw one.

The holy grail sighting!
A sitatunga!

It's hard to tell, but spotted-
necked otters are adorable!

But apparently it was our lucky day! (Let's be honest - luckily our guide was good!) We caught glimpses of both, albeit briefly. The spotted-necked otter kept poking its head out of the water to look at us, but would quickly duck back under like the best target in whack-a-mole. It was nearly impossible to get a photo, but fun to try!

And we didn't see the sitatunga until we had basically given up on the search. We had already stopped several times to search and our guide had even climbed to the roof to try and spot one. Just as we were nearly back at the dock, he suddenly stopped the boat and said there was a sitatunga, and I thought he was totally joking.

It was right in front of us but nearly hidden, with just a peek of its back showing, before moving on behind higher grass. We did it!!

Overall, I preferred the less touristy wild-camping experience that allowed us to immerse ourselves in the landscape. Being in the game reserve meant running into many other vehicles, breathing the dust kicked up by their cars and seeing more humans than wild animals. It also meant a less intimate experience. 

I'd be grumpy too...

No, really. There's a leopard there.

For example, there was a leopard resting under a bush (which felt odd as it was completely surrounded by vehicles), with cars getting uncomfortably close and crowding the leopard’s space. There is a rule (not sure if it is just an unspoken courtesy) that you should only stay 5 minutes in order to let other vehicles get a chance to see the wildlife, but a few of the self-drive cars were ignoring the rules and had to be told off by the professional guides. I felt as though the encounter was more like going to the zoo – so I was thankful we’d had a much more authentic experience in NG 32.

Regardless of where we were, seeing an animal in its natural habitat (and especially knowing there is nothing between you and it) is a breathtaking thrill. Check out my next post to see what animals we saw!