The grasslands, lagoons and forests of Savuti Linyanti are home to a staggering amount of wildlife - the area is particularly famous for its predators, particularly resident lion and spotted hyena populations, as well as wild dog.
If you allow yourself adequate time here (a minimum of three to four days is recommended), you will probably see nearly all the major species: giraffe, elephant, zebra, impala, tsessebe, wildebeest, kudu, buffalo, eland and accompanying predators including lion, hyena, jackal, bat-eared fox and possibly even cheetah and wild dog.
The Linyanti’s private concessions - or reserves - contain some of the best lodges in Botswana. Peak viewing season is during the dry winter months when great concentrations of elephant, buffalo and zebra congregate along the river, with giraffe, impala and roan antelope being seen in the forests. The birdlife is diverse, if not overwhelming in its numbers; waterbirds, including pelican, are common.
Geographically, Savuti is an area of many unknowns. One of the greatest mysteries is the Savuti Channel itself, which has over the past 100 years inexplicably dried up and recommenced its flow several times. To the north of the Okavango Delta and the far west of Chobe National Park, the Linyanti is a forgotten paradise – a 900 square kilometre strip of swampy river frontage reminiscent of the Okavango’s permanent waterways with papyrus-lined lagoons, reed-beds and a towering canopy of trees.
For those seeking a remote and peaceful environment, with spectacular dry season concentrations of elephant, Linyanti is the place to go. This area makes an excellent addition to a safari in the Okavango and a superb substitute for the busier Chobe waterfront further north.
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