The Kalahari savannahs, bare landscapes
Covered mainly by the semi-desert of the Kalahari, Botswana reveals endless savannahs, dotted with drought-resistant trees. The most monotonous landscape, on the most infertile sands, is animated by a continuous array of shrubs composed of acacia, terminalia and combretum, among other species. In the beds of the fossil rivers, there are very large acacias erioloba, whose roots draw deeply into the water table. Sometimes there are also vast grassy savannahs, yellow and white, which undulate in the wind. They are punctuated, here and there, by one or more trees, often umbrella acacias or acacias tortilis. The soil is richer in nutrients and the sands shallower. On the large salt flats of the Makgadikgadi, plant life is mostly absent. However, during the rainy season, the film of water that covers them undergoes a short bloom of algae accompanied by its procession of plant and animal micro-organisms. Migratory birds and pink flamingos then take advantage of this to feed on them. But the real plant beauty of the great salt flats is undoubtedly these giant baobabs, rising majestically on rocky islands like Baines Baobabs and Lekhubu Island. In this very arid mineral universe, these very large trees, several times centenarians, are undoubtedly the witnesses of less dry periods. In any case, the landscape they form is simply magnificent!
The mopane forests, real natural cathedrals
If there is one tree that any traveller will quickly learn to recognise, it is the mopane, with its scientific name Colophospermum mopane. This almost evergreen species forms large monotonous woodlands on the edge of the Okavango Delta, in the Linyanti swamps and around Francistown and the Zimbabwean border, and can grow up to 18m high! Its characteristic leaves are two-lobed in a butterfly shape and remain green until the end of the dry season when they start to turn brown and eventually fall off. They are then quickly replaced by the first leaves, of an almost fluorescent green, which come out as soon as the first rains come. Able to grow on very poor soils, the mopane takes two forms: a bushy form, very dense and with fragile branches, on the poorest soils, and a magnificent tree form on the richer and more watered soils as in Xakanaka in the Moremi Reserve. It is a tree much used and appreciated by wildlife as well as by domestic wildlife and inhabitants. Light construction wood, leaves appreciated by herbivores, shelters for tree squirrels, the mopane has many uses. During the rainy season, it is home to the famous mopane worms that are so appreciated by the Batswana people, either fried or raw. The most adventurous travellers will try the experience!
Chobe and its lush forests
If there is a region where the European traveller will be able to see "real forests", it is in the Chobe River valley, in the Kasane region. Here, the vegetation landscape changes, as the rainfall allows deciduous trees to dominate. The tree that dominates the scene is the Zambezi teak(Baikeo plurijuga). With its large leaves, mauve and pink flowers and black and white scaled trunk, it is particularly beautiful and offers a pleasant shade for camping or picnicking. The Chobe is also home to the miombo woodlands, which grow on relatively acidic soil. This plant community, which is predominant in Zambia, is largely dominated by the genera Brachystegia, Julbernardia and Isoberlinia, and is somewhat reminiscent of mopane woodlands, alternating areas of beautiful trees with areas of shrubs and bushes depending on the richness of the soil. It is interspersed with purely grassy depressions where no trees or shrubs grow. For the traveller visiting the River Front section of Chobe Park, it is the Zambezi teak trees and the large riverside trees that characterise the landscape.
The Okavango, an incredible diversity of vegetation
The diverse environments and landscapes of the Okavango Delta offer an exceptional variety of vegetation, the distribution of which is controlled by surface and groundwater. In the panhandle, where the delta is formed, huge grassy areas border the Okavango and its main branches. The channels are marked by giant papyrus and reeds, and the islands by riparian forests with large trees tolerant of high soil moisture such as the palm(Phoenix reclinata), the sycamore fig(Ficus sycomorus) and the inevitable sausage tree(Kigelia africana). In the lagoons and small channels where the current is less marked, the sedimentary deposits constitute a very rich environment for a range of aquatic plants. Among the most obvious are Brasenia schreberi with its small oval leaves, Trapa natans and, of course, the water lilies Nymphaea nouchali caerulea, with its pink and white flowers open during the day, and Nymphaea lotus, with its yellow and white flowers open at the end of the day and closed at sunrise. Among the second, more discreet, the "water lettuce" Ottelia ulvifolia is also very present.
Ubiquitous mammal hordes
With more than 160 species of mammals listed, Botswana is the ultimate safari destination. When it comes to predators, the choice is wide: there are over 30 different species. Lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos, the famous big five, are all present, especially in the Okavango Delta. The country is home to the largest colony of elephants in Africa, which represents nearly a third of all the pachyderms on the African continent. The rhino population, on the other hand, is under threat and is severely affected by illegal poaching. They can only be seen on Chief's Island in Moremi Game Reserve or at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, near Serowe. The lion, the only cat to roar, and the leopard, known for hiding its prey high up in the trees, are present everywhere in Botswana, both in the delta and in the Kalahari Desert. In contrast, the African buffalo is only found in the north of the country, being very dependent on water. In addition to the large predators, the spotted hyena, the Cape fox, the African wild dog, the jackal and the raptor, which may well be the most persistent predator, can be seen. The latter is capable of turning inside its own skin and has undeniable combat endurance. Don't mess with it! Non-predators include the amphibious hippo, steppe zebra, giraffe, warthog, monkeys, rock damsel, igel, galago, bush hare and porcupine. Antelopes are the queens of Botswana with no less than 22 species. There is everything from the small orotrague, barely 50 cm tall and living in the hills or rocky areas of the country, to the large kudu which is three times its size and stands out with its twisted horns and lives in the savannah or the forest. Other known antelope species can be seen such as the Cape eland, guib, blue wildebeest, oryx, black hippotrague, lechwe cobe, puku, steenbok and, of course, the much loved impala. Just to name a few!
An exceptional avifauna
A birdwatcher's paradise, Botswana is home to nearly 600 different species, including a number of endangered ones. Among the larger species are the ostrich, KoriBustard, snake, several species of vultures, marabou and many eagles. Aquatic or semi-aquatic birds converge on the Okavango Delta, the Chobe floodplains and the Makgadikgadi flats, especially during the rainy season: cormorants, egrets, flamingos, pelicans, kingfishers, herons, spoonbills, grebes, Senegal jabirus, cranes, ibises, plovers, ducks, geese, etc. Savannahs and woodlands are home to falcons, owls, rollers, jays, parrots, starlings, francolins, hornbills, swallows, pigeons, turtle doves, hoopoes, shrikes, guinea fowl, kites, turtles, gangas, blackbirds, bee-eaters, weavers, etc. Because of the richness of its environment, the Okavango Delta beats all the records of frequentation, especially during the rainy season, from November to April, when thousands of migrants arrive. A guaranteed spectacle!
Other families present
From the small endemic gecko of the Tsodilo Hills to the gigantic crocodiles of the northwestern Okavango, including turtles, chameleons and monitor lizards, there are about 170 species of reptiles and amphibians. Among the many varieties of snakes, the python breaks all records for size, with some specimens reaching more than 5 m in length! This ophidian species is the only one protected in Botswana. Often shunned by travellers, insects are also a source of fascination for those who are interested in them. Any traveller will note the presence of termite mounds, fascinating architecture of the savannah. To enter the fascinating world of invertebrates, a good guide will be necessary. As for fish, there are about 80 different species, mostly confined to the permanent waters of the Okavango and Chobe rivers and, on a smaller scale, to the Limpopo River. The most commonly caught fish are bream, carp, barbel, pike and the famous tiger fish, with teeth as sharp as a knife!
