The Savute Channel is a vital link between the Linyanti and Savuti marshes in Chobe National Park. It can be a place of supreme abundance, awash with lush grasslands and fringed by a dense swamp. Yet, in 1982, the swamp started to get a little drier, and inch by inch the river followed suit.
Before long, without its lifeblood, the area became nothing more than a dustbowl dotted with a sparse covering of golden grass and the occasional trickle making its way down the once flowing channel. Animals and birds dispersed to greener pastures, leaving the area almost devoid of life apart from a few die-hard lions trapped there by territorial tradition.
The Tides Turn
Then in 2008, the wheel turned again, and a small stream started to make its way once more across these barren landscapes, eventually swelling to fill the channel and plump up the swamp once again. Now the animals have returned in their numbers, reinstating the Savute Channel’s status as one of the world’s best wildlife destinations.
In 2016, the cycle once again started to repeat itself, although the Savute marsh currently still supports a huge diversity of wild creatures.
Experience Abundance
During good times, the channel showcases some of Chobe National Park’s most exciting species. Massive herds of elephant, buffalo and zebra flock to enjoy the abundance of the good years, to the delight of the 17-strong lion pride which has stuck it out all these years. A host of lesser predators may also be seen including cheetah, leopard and hyena as well as many species of antelope, giraffe and smaller creatures.
Experience it all at some of the best safari lodges Botswana has to offer. Most of the camps boast splendid views over the action, with some, like Belmond Elephant Lodge, lingering right at the water’s edge.
The Botswana safari lodge has it all, plush accommodation, excellent dining and the best game guides to lead you on safaris over land and water.
What’s Behind These Strange Happenings?
Up until recently, the irregular tides of the Savute Channel have baffled science and scientists, but it seems the answer has quite literally been hidden beneath the sands of time all along. Geological studies have revealed that almost the meandering of all of Botswana’s most interesting waterways are dictated by a system of fault lines beneath the surface of the Earth.
It would appear that Botswana is the site of surprisingly regular earthquakes, the effects of which are rarely felt above the thick layer of Kalahari Desert sands which cloaks the country. These shifts in the earth’s tectonic plates are what cause Botswana’s rivers to change direction or cease flowing altogether and explain the existence of the world’s only inland delta.
While the mystery of the Savute Channel appears to be solved, the charm of the area is far from diminished. Get in touch to book one of Botswana’s premier safari experiences before everything changes again.
