Good news for the area, as everyone knows the Okavango Delta is having a huge flood but we are also getting a lot of extra early water . The water level in front of camp has risen about 1.5 ft and is still rising. The lagoon we call Kubu lagoon is full (half way to Zib lagoon ) and the water is flowing into Zib lagoon at a fast walking pace, so at this stage it looks as though we will get Zib lagoon back to its full capacity. According to Water Affairs officials there is a lot of water on it's way from the Kwando area !
The grass in the Savuti channel is starting to turn slightly brown which is surprising because we are still receiving a lot of rain but the animals are grazing it and it is slowly getting shorter and shorter - at last visibility will return and game viewing will once again be made easier. As far as game viewing goes we have had some great cheetah and lion interaction with the females from the Savuti pride chasing the three male cheetah off more than one of their kills.
The zebra and wildebeest numbers are quite good especially in the Savuti area and further east but they will slowly be drawn further west up the channel as it gets dryer in the coming months . All the pans in the mopane are still 110% full and covered with a topping of bright green algae which makes for great contrast on photos when photographing hippos or water birds etc .
On the bird front all of the migratories are still around and some large flocks of kestrels and cattle egrets are to be seen in the channel area and flood planes south of camp .The camp itself is still looking very green and jungle-like with the almost hourly storms we have been receiving over the past few weeks the trees are dripping and the camp is practically steaming when the sun comes out . The water is now visable in front of camp in the short grass and is rising closer to the camp on a daily basis and creating lots of shallow flooded areas making birding in front of camp interesting .
I hope at the end of next month when I do the next report I can still say that the water is rising and that Zib lagoon is almost full!
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DumaTau is a 10 roomed luxury tented camp, in the private 125 000 hectare Linyanti Wildlife Reserve which borders the western boundary of Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. The camp is built on raised boardwalks under a shady grove of mangosteen trees, overlooking a large hippo-filled lagoon on the Linyanti waterways. The source of the Savuti Channel is close to the camp and game drives along the Savuti are one of the highlights of the camp.
The rooms are spacious, raised off the ground and under thatch with canvas walls, allowing guests to enjoy the night sounds of Africa from the comfort of their rooms. The bathroom facilities are en-suite, with hot and cold running water. Each room has an additional outside shower. There is a dining room, pub, lounge, plunge pool and a special guest toilet with a fantastic view. The region has all the habitat diversity to make it a haven for wildlife.
Activities are diverse and allow guests time on the water, on land and occasionally on foot. Day and night game drives are conducted in open 4x4 vehicles along the Savuti Channel and the banks of Linyanti River. There are many hides in the area where guests can enjoy wildlife viewing close up and away from a vehicle. One of the best hides is right at the source of the Savuti and many species of game and birdlife can usually be seen from this hide.
The area is famous for its Elephant concentrations in our winter months and for the great game viewing all year. Huge herds of elephant congregate in winter along the waterways and lagoons - and at the waterholes that are located along the Savuti Channel. During these dry months Sable and Roan traverse the flood plains. All the predators..... lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog feast on the prey species in the area impala, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, lechwe, tsessebe and all the other plains game.
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