Chobe National Park
Our memories of Chobe: Sitting at the magnificent Chobe Savanna Lodge in the late afternoon, we gaze across the panorama of the Chobe River and floodplains of the Puku flats. Vast numbers of elephants are moving towards the river bank, at first in separate herds, then greeting and merging with other herds emerging from the bush. Adolescents wrestle with friends reunited, trunks intertwined and dust cascading off their bodies. Youngsters cavort, venturing away from their mothers, then rush back to the protection of the forest of legs of the herd. A pod of hippos wallowing near the shore sounds off, grunting and complaining as the elephants enter the water to drink, submerging and blowing. As the crimson and gold sunset advances across the sky, we watch as the 300-strong megaherd disperses back into the Chobe wilderness.

Chobe National Park is one of the largest in Botswana. Declared a park in 1967, it has gained fame not only for its wildlife but because of its celebrity visitors. Richard Burton was so inspired by the pristine beauty of the park during his visit with Elizabeth Taylor in 1970 that he decided to propose to Ms. Taylor and they remarried at a safari lodge near Kasane. Former president Bill Clinton and family have also visited the Park.

The Chobe elephants migrate up and down the Chobe River, which has its origins in the Angolan highlands. As it flows downstream, the river changes name from the Kwando River to the Linyanti and then the Chobe River, picking up the name of each area it passes through. The park is close to the famous Victoria Falls (one of the seven natural wonders of the world) and as a result is the most visited park in Botswana.

The river plays a vital role in animal life since most wildlife including the large buffalo and elephant herds will congregate along its banks during the drier winter months. River cruises provide an excellent vantage point to observe and photograph the elephants at close range, having a mud bath, drinking and browsing off the riverine forest along the banks. River safaris provide yet another perspective of Africa’s wildlife, with dramatic sunsets relected in the water, countless waterbirds and bird-calls, large pods of hippo, crocodiles basking on the sandbanks, baboons cavorting in the trees and antelope herds drinking at the river bank.

Why are elephants important?
According the the WWF, elephants play an important role in the forest and savanna ecosystems in which they live. Many plant species are dependent on passing through an elephant's digestive tract before they can germinate. Elephants browsing on vegetation also affect the structure of habitats and influence bush fire patterns. For example, under natural conditions, elephants make gaps through the forest, enabling the sunlight to enter which allows the growth of a various plant species. This in turn facilitates a more abundant and more diverse fauna of smaller animals.

The influence that elephants have over plant and animal species means they are often referred to as a keystone species, vital to the long-term survival of the ecosystems in which they live.

Elephant facts
African elephants are the largest of the world’s elephant species and were saved from the terrible poaching frenzy during the 1970’s and 80’s. Botswana’s conservation efforts have resulted in their successful repopulation of Chobe National Park. They have a very good long term memory and many stories from handlers in captivity and in the wild support this. An elephant reportedly hurled stones at his keeper for months after it was fed bad tasting medicine. An elephant’s brain is large and complex, weighing up to 13 pounds. African elephants are capable of communicating over great distances with a wide variety of vocal sounds, including low rumbles, grunts, purrs, bellows, whistles and trumpeting.

To learn more about the Victoria Falls:
Download our Victoria Falls brochure … (PDF File size: 0.8 MB)