Kwara Concession Area
Okavango Delta, Botswana

The Kwara Reserve is on the southern edge of the Okavango. This is a drier region with open savannahs and Mopane woodlands. On your Okavango safari you might see lots of plains game such as Zebra and Tsessebe. This is also a good area to try and spot African Wild Dog.This is a beautiful area of the Delta between the Vumbura and Khwai areas. It covers 1750km and is a mix of shallow floodplains, deep water channels and vast tracts of drier regions in the north, which have forests of tall Mopne trees.

Habitat

The southern areas of the reserve are wetter with several permanent swamps. Here you will find thick banks of Papyrus and small palm islands which are dominated by magnificent Sycamore Fig trees. This reserve is in an area of the Delta that is in a transition state.

The region is slowly drying out as watercourses change. There are areas where you will find a mix of both wet and dry habitats which have an interesting mix of vegetation such as African Mangosteens, Jackalberrys, Date Palms and Terminalia trees.

This variety of vegetation means that the reserve is home to many diverse animals from aquatic loving swamp dwellers to Kalahari Desert dwelling species.

Animals

This area of the Delta is characterized by more open stretched of savannah, as well as beautiful flood plains. On your Okavango safari you will find lots of antelope such as Impala, Tsessebe and many Reedbok grazing on the floodplains. The concession is also home to large herds of Wildebeest, Zebra and many Bushbucks.

There are small herds of Buffalo in this region of the Delta. Down on the wetter floodplains Lechwe are commonly seen.

Kwara has a dense population of predators, and you'll likely see Lion just about every day. African Wild Dogs have a strong presence in the Okavango, and this reserve is a good area to try and find them. Cheetah can be found hunting on the drier open areas in the north of this reserve, though they are not commonly seen.

Birdlife

As this area has such a mix of wet and dry habitats, you can see a wide variety of birds. In the permanent swap regions you can see Reed Cormorants, African and Lesser Jacanas and several species of Kingfishers, including the Giant Pied Kingfisher.

You can see Pygmy Geese and Coucals, as well as the iconic Fish Eagle, whose haunting cry for many is the sound of the Africa. You can also see many rarer birds such as Fulvous Ducks, Swamp Boubous and Black and Slaty Egrets.

In the drier areas you may see Double Breasted Sand Grouse, Lilac Breasted Rollers, Yellow-billed Hornbills, Meyers Parrots, Heuglins Robins and Black Breasted Snake Eagles.

When to Visit

This area of the Okavango offers fantastic activities all year round. Unlike in some parts of the Delta, the game viewing is really good in the wet, green summer months as well as the dry winter months. However, you'll see the animals more easily in the dry winter months, as there is much less foliage.

The wet season is better for seeing the regions birdlife, as this is the breeding season which lasts from November to March. The famous Gcodikwe Heronry is a real attraction in the area where you can find many different species nesting. The heronry is probably at its best in October - November.

Activities

This area is a wonderful destination for game drives all year round. As this is a private area you can also enjoy night game drives. The region still offers good game viewing in the rainy season. The water levels are fairly high year round and so Mekoro and boating trips are possible.