Chobe National Park – Botswana Wildlife Safari – Self Drive Africa
Chobe National Park found in Botswana and it is the country’s most biology diverse located in the North and the country’s third largest national park though it has one of the highly game concentrated park in the whole of Africa.
This national park is widely known for having the population of lions that even prey on Elephants.
This area is found in the Northern Botswana and the original inhabitants of this area were the San Bushmen (well known as Basarwa people in Botswana). They were nomadic hunter-gatherers who were constantly moving from place to place to find food sources, namely fruit, water and wild animals
Even by now, there still exist the San paintings inside the rocky hill caves within Chobe National Park.
At the beginning of the 20th Century, the region that would become Botswana was divided into different land tenure systems. At that time, a major part of the park’s area was classified as crown land. The idea of a national park which would protect the varied local wildlife and promote tourism which would protect the varied local wildlife and promote tourism was first proposed in 1931. The following year, 24000 square kilometers (12200 square miles) around Chobe district was officially declared a none hunting area and the area was later expanded to 31600square Kilometers (12,200square miles) by 1934.
By 1943, heavy tsetse infection occurred throughout the region, delaying the creation of the national park and later in 1953, the project attained the governments attention again 21000square kilometers was suggested to become a game reserve and the Chobe game reserve was officially created in 1960 though smaller than initially desired. By 1967, the reserve was declared a national park.
At that time, there were several industrial settlements in the region, especially at Serondela, where the timber industry proliferated. These settlements were gradually moved out of the park, and it was not until 1975 that the whole protected area was exempted from human activity. Nowadays traces of the prior timber industry area still visible at Serondela. Minor expansions of the park look place in 1980 and 1987.
Elephant concertation
The park is widely known for its large elephant population, estimated to be around 50,000.
Elephants living here are Kalahari elephants, the largest in herd size of all known elephant populations. They are characterized by rather brittle ivory and short tusks, perhaps due to calcium deficiency in the soils. Damage caused by the high numbers of elephants is rife in some area. In fact, the concentration is so high throughout Chobe that culls have been considered, but are deemed too controversial and have thus far been rejected by the Chobe River and Linyanti River areas. In the rainy season, they make a 200-kilometer migration of the south-eastern stretch of the park. Their distribution zone however outreaches the park and spreads to north-western Zimbabwe.
Activities that can be engaged in at Chobe National Park.
Game drives: It probably goes without saying that heading out at least one game drive whilst in Chobe National Park is an absolute must. This generally the best way to see Chobe predators, as well as the undulating and striking landscapes and ecosystems that stretch away from the River. you can self-drive, or most lodges morning drives in their rates
Boat cruise; Chobe is particularly famous for its sunset boat cruises, a special favorite for birders and photographers which also gives the perfect setting for a nice, cold sundowner or two. It’s the best way to see large herds of elephants crossing the river too, as well as the River’s sizeable Hippos and Crocodile population
There other activities like photographs safaris, village tours guided bush walks, fishing and many others.