Chobe National Park – Day 5

A goose comes in forlanding on the Chobe River amongst a Great Egret, Saddle-bill Stork and ducks

The Chobe River originates in the highlands of Angola as the Cuando (also spelled Kwando) River and flows southeast through Zambia, where upon exiting the country it forms the border between Namibia and Botswana. At one time the river continued its southeastern flow, eventually merging with the waters of the Okavango Delta and continuing south, eventually the merged rivers filled Lake Makgadikgadi, which is now a seasonal swamp. An ancient uplift effectively cut off the southeastern flow of the Cuando River, diverting it to the east where it becomes the Linyati River until further east it gives rise to the Chobe River, eventually flowing into the Zambezi. At the end of the dry season the Cuando-Linyata-Chobe system along with the Okavango Delta are the only consistent sources of water in northern Botswana. Because of this and because the wildlife of Chobe National Park are protected from hunting, come the dry season the Chobe waterfront is like a magnificent outdoor zoo where safari travelers view wildlife across the unobstructed views of the treeless plains. This area has one of the largest concentrations of wildlife across the whole of Africa!

Young male lions rests in the shade along the Chobe River and a leopard hides in the bush to avoid detection by a herd of Impala