PHILLIMON MHLANGA
BOTSWANA – I am a huge fan of the outdoors. And in pursuit of my grand obsession while I was in Victoria Falls recently, I journeyed more than 90 kilometres on a day’s trip to Chobe National Park, on the northern part of Botswana.
I voyaged from Victoria Falls, one of the world’s most magnificent watery wonderland through Kazungu Border post to the famous national park, a must-see wildlife destination which is said to be one of the top wilderness reserves in the world. Chobe covers almost 11 000 km² and was the first national park in Botswana, established in the early 60s and boosts the biggest concentration of wildlife in Africa.
From Zimbabwe, the gateway to Chobe is Kasane, a small town in northern Botswana sandwiched between the Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia borders.
After about an hour’s drive, we arrived at the Chobe Game Lodge. I immediately experienced the real Africa in a quintessential safari setting overlooking sprawling grasslands and beautiful Chobe River.
Guests had to choose either to go on a game drive, where there is always an opportunity to see a huge variety of different species including lions, leopard and cheetah or do cruising on the Chobe River, which is an oasis in a dry region. With water being a lifeline to many species, game was abundant on that Friday afternoon, according to guides.
While I was filing my story for the day from the Chobe Game Lodge bar, different guides who I interacted with said the year-round river cruise activity offers an unrivalled opportunity for a close -up experience of river life, which takes groups of up to 20 in one boat at a time on a three or four kilometres cruise along the Chobe River and back again at the lodge.
The river divides Botswana and Namibia, with the Botswana side being renowned for its wildlife, while the Namibian side is pastoral land, so the sight of cattle and fishermen is common.
So, I quickly made up my mind, to join the group that chose the boat cruise along the waters of the Chobe River, whose source is in Angola, passes through Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe into the Zambezi River. What makes the Chobe water channel unique is that it hugs four countries-Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia- together.
I thought, indeed a river cruise would get me up close and personal with hippos, crocodiles and a mind-boggling array of water birds. I also thought this would offer me a chance to experience the park and the animals from different vantage points.
More than 500 bird species had been recorded in the park in the last few months, making it one of Africa’s premier venues for bird safaris.
Soon after setting on cruise, our guide reminded us not to make noise because that would scare away and anger animals, a situation that left the water trip shrouded in greater serenity.
Chobe covers almost 11 000 km² and was the first national park in Botswana, established in the early 60s and boosts the biggest concentration of wildlife in Africa. 11 000 km² Part of Chobe Game Lodge
The only loud sound that prevailed for the river trip was the soothing one of water trickling off the paddle of our boat as it dipped rhythmically in and out of the Chobe River, interrupted only by the calls of different birds.
I was amazed to see herd after herd of elephants, which hold the prize for largest living terrestrial animal, racing down a dry and dusty hill towards the Chobe River banks, some small in number and others counting in the hundreds.
Each takes its turn to drink the precious water, swim in the cool river or just jostle for position. We also noticed from a distant, a family of elephants take a mud bath and some walking along the grassy shoes of Namibia, where they risk their lives each day to get food.
A freelance guide, Phillip Sivula, who was also our captain, told Business Times that the largest concentration of elephants in Africa occupies the Chobe Park.
He said the elephants regularly cross the Chobe River to reach the richer vegetation of Namibia.
“We have a record numbers on elephants here, more than 130 000 elephants are in this park and their numbers are mounting,” Sivula said.
“Do you see them crossing the river over there? They (elephants) are excellent swimmers. They swim across to the island over there, but, they will only stay there for two days and swim across to the other side of the river that is in Namibia.
“They can’t stay in the island for more than two days because they have a very poor digestive system. They also need to get to dry area or inland where they can get trees. They always push and pull many stems of trees, open them up in order to get into its heart and pull up some juicy roots.
“Trees store all their carbohydrates in their roots and in the bark, just like in a carrot or potato. An elephant knows this. That’s why they always push over a tree to uproot it partly to enable them to get their tsk and trunk around the bottom roots. They also push trees over to get the top leaves,” he added.
Sivula said hunting was banned in the area because of rising poaches cases in the park.
“Our elephants are endangered species,” Sivula.
“They are protected this is why you see a camp for soldiers who stay here to control poachers. Hunting has been banned here because hunters are connected to poachers. The issue of poachers who are following and persecuting the elephants is worrisome. They are following these elephants here and recently, about 30 elephants were killed illegally here,” he added.
Apart from a large concentration of elephants, we spotted herds of sable antelopes coming down to drink water, only to disappear back into the drier areas. Buffaloes also congregated along the Chobe River.
As we continue cruising along the magnificent Chobe River, we are lucky to see a group of large crocodiles, which is normally called a parliament ahead of us. They sunned themselves on a muddy bank close to reed cormorants, a family of long tailored birds.
As we approach them, some slip lazily into water and unfortunately swims off in the other direction.
“When you see crocodiles coming together in a group like this, they are called a parliament. If you see a group as large as this, it’s not they are bathing in the sunshine, it means there is a crisis. They will be discussing food shortages and trying to come up with a strategy as a group. You don’t normally see huge groups of crocodiles together, they are discussing a crisis,” Sivula said.
As we cruised down the river, we met a beautiful antelope called Pulu, which is similar to the Lechwe, another kind of antelope.
“It’s the only place (Chobe) in Botswana where you can see the water loving Puku, but it is the enormous herds of elephant that has made the Chobe so famous,” Sivula added.
Along the river, our guide begins naming the birds that perched atop an umbrella thorn tree.
“The tawny eagle has got good sight, so the guinea fowls are its main prey and sometimes it even eats other small birds,” Sivula said.
“See the other side, this is also a bird paradise. You see those Egyptian geese and the African palm swift together with the African jacana with the nearby grey heron and the yellow-billed stork,” Sivula said.
He added: “There you see, we have a lilac breasted roller, which used to be Botswana’s national bird, but has now been replaced by kori bustard,” Sivula said.
We then start to see plenty of the country’s national animal, the zebra.
“It is July my friend, so the zebras have started returning to the area, from further afield, to graze the soft green grass that springs up as the Chobe River subsides after the rains. They are part of Africa’s longest- and lesser known-land mammal migration, with many walking from Namibia to Botswana, nearly a 500 km round trip,” he continues.
“In the winter time, they will be found at the river. But during the summer time they will not be seen, at the end of winter they will be travelling again, they go back to Makgadikgadi and even to the (Okavango) Delta,” Sivula indicated adding: “There’s a lot, thousands and thousands and they return in June, July, and August and then during the rainy season they are not found here because the inlets will have water so they go back.”
We then reach a herd of waterbuck which also take advantage of the soft green grass. But, the waterbucks shy away on our approach, before turning around and snaking back towards our starting point.
At this point, we journey back to Chobe Lodge after enjoying a slightly more than two quiet hours on the river.
I was last to step onto terra firma or dry land of Chobe Game Lodge, feelings rejuvenated by a unique and close –up encounter with nature on Chobe River.
“This is the place to be. Almost every day we get different groups of tourists who will be visiting the Victoria Falls but end up here for either a river cruise or game drive. It’s really amazing how travelers have of late fallen in love with Chobe,” Sivula concluded.
