One of the best places to view and enjoy the behaviour of the huge herds of elephants other than the Chobe National Park is the Linyati, this region is supported by a permanent water source the kwando river. Quoting from the “elephant guide”Botswana has the greatest elephant population in Africa with numbers exceeding 50 000. The highest concentration of elephants can be found in the Chobe National Park and Linyanti region. It is not uncommon during the dry winter months to see the floodplains of the Chobe River and Linyanti literally covered with Elephants.
Elephant population
Many reasons are given for the growing population of Botswana’s African Elephants. The logical explanation seems to be that historically the Elephants’ migration routes took in Chobe, the Caprivi Strip in Namibia and the Zambezi floodplains of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
However, with the bush war in Namibia the South African defence force was involved in shooting Elephants for ivory and for target practice. With this the Elephants stopped crossing the Chobe River and instead spent the winter months on the Botswana side of the river. Today however Namibia is at peace, the Caprivi enjoys protection from the Namibian authorities and the Elephants have started crossing the river again. It is hoped that this will ease the stress on the Chobe’s vegetation
According to the aerial survey done by the elephants without borders the elephant population in BOTSWANAis around 130,451,: The population appears to have decreased by 15 percent since 2010, source: elephants without borders
Oberservations It was said by many ecologists that Botswana had an ‘Elephant problem’ in that there were too many Elephants for the vegetation to support. It is true that the Elephants have changed the landscape of places like the Chobe River from thick woodland to open plains. As the Elephants move to the permanent water areas during the dry season the vegetation takes a hammering.
source:botswan.co.za/elephant guide
The long march in search of water in the hot summer
A short interaction with a family
The hot summer noon with a big build up clouds in the afternoon, is a typical summers day in Africa, where the Elephants are in search of water
The elephants can feel the excitement of water by the trunk movements
Anticipation of a good water source
Excitement in the herd
The long march towards the water
Huge group of elephants spotted in the afternoon
Crossing the Okavango channel in the rain
This picture was captured in a sudden outburst of rain, one can see the scattered herd, while some are crossing the channel others are feeding and making their way along
Play time after the rain
Excitement after the rains
play time
Play time among subadult male elephant calfs
The Linyati also has huge number of buffalo that congregate in the thousands
The Buffalo and the Elephants in search of water
Finally water…….the life source
The Life source
After a long drink of water an elephant emerges with a lilly pad and all
a close up portrait
Thank you for your time
