Southern Okavango

This part of the Delta is a spectacularly diverse sector; it has a bit of everything Botswana offers...from dry plains to perennial swamps, and huge herds of grazers dotted about these two habitats and the in betweens. The southern sector is mostly managed by private concessions.

This is an excellent area to experience "wet camps" where you can explore the waterways of the Delta by boat and traditional makoro (dug-out canoe), in season from May to October when the floodwaters have reached this area. The Kanana heronry is the largest breeding collection of herons, storks and egrets in the Delta and can be reached by boat from certain camps all year.

A surprising range of wildlife make the Okavango home. A huge number of impala attract a high number of leopard - impala is favoured above all other antelope species. Ilala palms dot the floodplains and beyond the open grasslands are swathes of acacia woodlands.

Also encountered are buffalo, elephant, lion and occasional sightings of wild dog, the subject of the Botswana Wild Dog Research Project that takes place in the area.

Wherever the predators hunt, there are always raptors and the African Hawk Eagle and the Hooded Vulture are often seen around the southern regions. A famous African bird is the greater honeyguide, a fascinating bird that encourages humans to follow it when it calls, and in exchange for providing the location of a honey nest, the honeyguide receives a small "commission"! Other bird species frequently seen are the Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Red-billed Hornbill, Gabar Goshawk and coveys of Red-billed Francolin.

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