Wildlife of Botswana
Encyclopedia
The wildlife of Botswana
refers to the flora
and fauna
of Botswana
. Botswana is around 90% covered in savanna
, varying from shrub savanna in the southwest in the dry areas to tree savanna consisting of trees and grass in the wetter areas. Even under the hot conditions of the Kalahari Desert
, many different species survive; in fact the country has more than 2500 species of plants and 650 species of trees. Vegetation and its wild fruits are also extremely important to rural populations living in the desert and are the principal source of food, fuel and medicine for many inhabitants.
Three national parks and seven game reserves that are wildlife shelters occupy 17% of the land area of Botswana. The three national parks are the Chobe National Park
, the Nxai Pan
and Makgadikgadi National Park
and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
. The seven game reserves are the Central Kalahari Game Reserve
, Gaborone Game Reserve, Khutse Game Reserve
, Mannyelanong Game Reserve, Maun Game Reserve and Moremi Game Reserve. In addition, a number of small privately owned reserves are maintained.
, which extends on its western borders into South Africa
, Namibia
and Angola
, is a flat terrain, which covers about 84% of Botswana, known by the epithet "thirstland". It is in fact covered by shrubland vegetation of trees, grasslands, scrub and thorny bushes. Apart from scattered hills and valleys, the dunes system of the southern part contains pans that fill with water during the rains, sustaining the wildlife with its nutrients and grasses.
The Chobe National Park
, with its four ecosystems, is known for its largest wildlife concentration in Africa, extends over an area of 10566 square kilometres (4,079.6 sq mi). Initially established as a reserve area in 1960 became the first gazetted national park in 1967. Chobe River valley forms the northeast part of the park and has thick forests and lush green plains. The marshland of Savuti forms the western zone. The hinterland is hemmed between the marshland of Savuti on the west and the Linyanti Swamps on its northwest. San people or the Basarwa were the original inhabitants of this land who were hunter gatherers. The park's elephant
population is the largest in Botswana, and the animals' seasonal migratory route covers 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) between the Chobe and Linyanti rivers. The body size of the elephants here is the largest. However, their ivory
is brittle and their tusk
s are generally short. Some of the other faunal species seen here are sable, wildebeest, kudu, buffalo and waterbuck, apart from lion, hyena, jackal, bat-eared fox, cheetah and wild dogs.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
(KTP), a transboundary park between Botswana and South Africa
, was the first conservation area to be set in the southern Kalahari Desert in May 2000. Out of a total area of 38000 square kilometres (14,671.9 sq mi), Botswana has control over 28400 square kilometres (10,965.3 sq mi) while the balance 9600 square kilometres (3,706.6 sq mi) is with South Africa. Two ecological zones of savannahs and grasslands of Africa in semi-arid environment, with least anthropological pressure, are represented here by ungulates and large carnivores mammals. The rich faunal and floral diversity has involved several research projects. Its approach from Goborone involves road travel over a distance of 865 kilometres (537.5 mi).
established in 1971, covering an area of 2500 square kilometres (965.3 sq mi) in Bakwena tribal land, has undulating topography of the bush savanna vegetation. It is sparsely populated due to poor water sources and wild life in the mineralised pan system within Khutse has been their major source of sustenance. The wild life of herbivore
thrived on grass growing in the pans which in turn has attracted predators.
, the second largest reserve in Botswana covering an area of 52800 square kilometres (20,386.2 sq mi), is a habitat of open plains, salt pans and riverbeds. It has wooded mopane
forests in the south and east. The indigenous people residing here since ancient times are known as bushmen
or the Basarwa or San. Its fame is also due to its Deception Valley where the study of brown hyena
(Parahyaena brunnea) has been carried out. Deception was the name given to the salt pans of the valley, which gave deceptive sight (mirage) of a water body from a distance. Tree Island used to be the main camping ground here. "Cry of the Kalahari", a famous book made this a popular place. Wild animals such as giraffe
, brown hyena, warthog, wild dog, cheetah, leopard, lion, blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, kudu, red hartebeest and springbok are seen in the pans and valleys, particularly during the period from December to April.
has recorded more nutritional content during the rainy season.
Hardweld vegetation consists of woody plants and grasses. The woody plants are; Acacia karroo
, Albizzia anthelmintica, Balanites aegyptiaca
, Mopane
(Colophospermum mopane), Combretum apiculatum
, Grewia bicolor
, Grewia flavecens, Grewia monticola, Lonchocarpus capassa and Terminalia
.
Sanveld of the Kalhari desert’s vegetation expanse consists of grasses namely, Kragrostis pallens, Striagostis uniplumis, Anthephora pubescens
, Schmidtia pappophoreides and Megaloprotachne albescens. Woody plants recorded are the Grewia avellana
, Grewia retinervis, Lonchocarpus nelsii and Terminalia sericia.
Okavango deltavedhas has both grasses and woody plants. The woody plants are the Fecus verruculosa and the Hyphaene crinata. The grasses reported are the Phragmites communis
, Dichanthium papillusum, Panicum repens, Andropogon encomus, Echinochloa pyramidelis and Imperata cylindrica.
Although about 90% of Botswana is covered by some kind of savanna
, even the Kalahari Desert
contains adequate vegetation to support tens of thousands of wild animals. Small areas of forest exist, but only in the far north along the Chobe River. Gruff shrubland tends to grow in the dryer desert areas, whilst trees tend to grow in the swamps, particularly in the Okavango delta which have access to more water to thrive. Botswana is home to over 2500 species of plants and over 650 species of trees.
, baobab
, marula
, acacia
, camel thorn, motopi (shepherd’s tree), wild date palm, papyrus
, sycamore fig tree
, real fan palm, African mangosteen and the sausage tree. The trees tend to grow in areas with a plentiful supply of water, such as in the Okavango Delta swamps.
The baobab tree, known as mowana in the Setswana language are some of the long living trees in Botwana and may grow older than 2000 years. The bark is characteristically pinkish-grey in colour, with a shiny tint. Large white flowers, averaging about 12 cm across and appear between October and December, whilst the greyish-brown fruits which average about 24 cm in length appear in April–May.
The marula or morula tree, belonging to the mango family Anacardiaceae
, grows to an average of 15 metres (and up to 20 metres) in the Okavango Delta
in bushveld and woodland, and has a greyish bark and is deciduous
. From January to July, the leaves are grey-green but eventually turn pale yellow and fall off in the latter part of the year during the winter. During the summer months the trees exhibit round to oval fruit, rich in Vitamin C
, with a thick peel covering white slippery pulp, which like the leaves turns increasingly yellow at the end of the blooming season. It also bears flowers, pinkish with male and red-purple and white with female.; the male tends to be larger and borne on sparse drooping racemes.
Wild date palm is one of only two species of palm tree which occur in the Okavango Delta, the other being the real fan palm
. The palm, an evergreen, tends to reach a height of around 6 metres (19.7 ft) and grows in abundance in the swamps in Botswana, along with the papyrus. It exhibits feather-shaped leaves, as compared to the fan-shaped leaves of the real fan palm. The leaves typically grow to about 3–4 m (9.8–13.1 ) in length with some spiny basal leaflets and others which are dark green and glossy in appearance. Male florets of the tree are pale dirty-yellow and caduceus
and female florets are smaller, globose and have a greener yellow colouring.
The sycamore fig tree
is one of the largest trees growing in Botswana, typically found in the Okavango delta growing up to 20 metres. A semi-deciduous tree, it has a deeply fluted stem with bright orange bark and grows figs up to 3 cm in diameter which eventually turn pale red to red when mature from green and peak between July and December.
The deciduous water-thriving African mangosteen in Botswana can grow up to 18 metres (59.1 ft) in height, identifiable by its bare, evenly sectioned yellowish-grey stem which stands out against its dense, very dark crown. The bark is grey in colour and the tree sports dark green, shiny leathery leaves averaging 9 centimetres (3.5 in) by 3 centimetres (1.2 in), with a yellow veining are diagnostic. The fruit which the tree bears is oval and of a pinky-orange colour, about 2.5 centimetre (0.984251968503937 in) in diameter on average and appears from November to February.
The mmilo tree, the species Vangueria infausta
of the Rubiaceae
family grows is a small deciduous shrub occurring in wooded grassland and bushveld, particular in rocky areas. It exhibits a yellowish-brown drupe, subglobose edible fruit, up to 35 millimetres (1.4 in) in diameter of which the seed is often obtained to create a dish called nchwachwa during the dry winter season.
The species Kigelia africana of sausage tree grows in the Okavango Delta, especially in the Xakanaxa, Third Bridge
and Mboma Island areas, and can reach heights of up to 20 metres (65.6 ft), making it amongst the tallest trees in Botswana. It is noted for its fruits which resemble oversized sausages and can weigh up to 4–5 kg and up to 50 centimetres (19.7 in) long and 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in diameter. The bark is grey and smooth in younger trees and may exhibit leaves up to 30 centimetres (11.8 in) long and dark red to maroon cup-shaped flowers measuring 15 by 15 cm, which bloom in August to October.
(a small, horned antelope), wildebeest (gnu), and springbok (gazelle) are familiar.
Bird species reported are 593 out of which eight species are under the globally threatened category. Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus, Syn. Bubulcus ibis coromandus) is the national bird of Botswana.
, african buffalo
, african bush elephant
, african civet
, african golden cat
, african manatee
, african striped weasel
, banded mongoose
, bat-eared fox
, black rhinoceros
, black-footed cat
, blue duiker
, bongo (antelope)
, brown hyena
, bushbuck
, cape fox
, cape fur seal
, cape hyrax
, caracal
, cheetah
, common duiker
, common eland
, gemsbok
, giant sable antelope
, giraffe
, greater kudu
, ground pangolin, hartebeest
, hippopotamus
, impala
, kirk's dik-dik
, klipspringer
, lechwe
, leopard
, lion
, marsh mongoose
, meerkat
, mountain zebra
, oribi
, plains zebra
, roan antelope
, sable antelope
, serval
, sharpe's grysbok, sitatunga
, southern reedbuck
, spotted hyena
, springbok antelope
, steenbok
, topi
, warthog
, waterbuck
, wildebeest
, yellow mongoose
and yellow-backed duiker
.
The Lions Park, called the St. Claire Lion Park is located in an open land, about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Goborone, the fastest growing capital city of Botswana.
, impala, hyena
, leopard and water buck. The park is developed as game sanctuary with extensive network of jeepable paths, which permits viewing the wild life at close quarters. The park administration is planning to expand its limits of conservation area up to the Lion Park
opposite to Crocodile
Pools.
selected in Botswana of which seven are wetlands and which are recognized and supported by the Birdlife International
known for their bird life cover more than 25% of the land surface of the country. These parks are: The Chobe National Park; the Linyanti Swamp along the Chobe River; the Okavango Delta
, the Lake Ngami
; the Makgadikgadi Pans; the Central Kalahari; the Manyelanong Hill; the Tswapong Hills; the Boka Dam; the Phakalane Sewage Lagoons; the Southeast Botswana; and the Gemsbok National Park. An initiative started by the IBA is of setting up 'Site Support Groups' (SSGs), an organised group of local people with the objective to "sustain biodiversity to sustain livelihoods in rural Botswana"; there are 150 SSGs in important bird areas reported to be functioning throughout Africa
. Red-footed Falcon
(Falco vespertinus}, Amur Falcon
(Falco amurensis) and Barn Swallow
(Hirundo rustica) and Cape Vulture
(Gyps coprotheres) are some of the birds reported by IBA from the grasslands, wetlands, hills, in areas of Kalahari Highveld, deltas and around lakes created by dams.
The Botswana Bird Club (BBC) established in 1980, now renamed as BirdLife Botswana promotes ornithological knowledge and interest and also publishes a biannual journal called "The Babbler" and a quarterly newsletter known as "The Familiar Chat" dealing with all issues of bird conservation, research and training in Botswana.
Manyelanong Game Reserve’s small cliffs protect a breeding colony of Cape Vultures, the largest such colony in Botswana and hence called the "Otse Vulture Colony" as its vultures are an endangered species protected by law. Protection has enabled the species to proliferate; its numbers in recent years are 70 breeding pairs seen in the colony.
Nata Bird Sanctuary
Nata Bird Sanctuary
, established in the early 1990s, is situated to the far northeastern edge of Sowa Pan. It encompasses an area of 230 square kilometres (88.8 sq mi) and maintained as a community project to preserve its 165 bird species. Some of the species reported are the kingfishers, bee-eaters, eagles
, bustards and ostriches. Water birds of Africa flock to this place during winter; the bird species reported are teal
s, ducks, geese, pelicans, spoonbill
s, Greater Flamingo
and Lesser Flamingo
. The flamingos and pelicans also breed here.
Gaborone Game Reserve
Gaborone Game Reserve, near the city of Gaborone, has a small area of 600 hectares (1,482.6 acre) but provides for popular viewing along roads. It has plenty of birds and wild life in its precincts The reserve is habitat of thorn scrub and woodland to riverine forest and marshland which attracts a wide variety of birds such as raptors a snake eagle, crimson boubou
(a genus of brightly coloured, carnivorous passerine
bird} and gallinule. Faunal species seen here are the rhino, impala, kudu, ostriches, wildebeest, zebra, gemsbok, bushbuck, springbok, duiker the eland
(Taurotragus derbianus} also known as the Lord Derby Eland), which is Africa's largest antelope.
Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi Game Reserve, established in 1965 and expanded over the years and now covering an area of 4871 square kilometres (1,880.7 sq mi), it is the habitat of mopane
woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons. It is said to be one of the most beautiful reserves in Africa maintained by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Birdlife in the park is wide and of varied species; water birds to shy forest dwellers are commonly seen. Other wild life fauna such as elephants, hippo
s (found in large number in the Hippo Pool), a few rhino and the red lechwe.
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
refers to the flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
of Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
. Botswana is around 90% covered in savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
, varying from shrub savanna in the southwest in the dry areas to tree savanna consisting of trees and grass in the wetter areas. Even under the hot conditions of the Kalahari Desert
Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah in Southern Africa extending , covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert...
, many different species survive; in fact the country has more than 2500 species of plants and 650 species of trees. Vegetation and its wild fruits are also extremely important to rural populations living in the desert and are the principal source of food, fuel and medicine for many inhabitants.
Three national parks and seven game reserves that are wildlife shelters occupy 17% of the land area of Botswana. The three national parks are the Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park, in northwest Botswana, has one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa. By size, it is the third largest park of the country, after the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Gemsbok National Park, and is the most diverse...
, the Nxai Pan
Nxai Pan
Nxai Pan is a large salt pan topographic depression which is part of the larger Makgadikgadi Pans in northeastern Botswana. This landform is a major part of the Nxai Pan National Park, and is a seasonal home to large herds of zebra...
and Makgadikgadi National Park
Makgadikgadi Pan
The Makgadikgadi Pan is a large salt pan in the middle of the dry savanna of northeastern Botswana. It is one of the largest salt flats in the world...
and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a large wildlife preserve and conservation area in southern Africa. The park straddles the border between South Africa and Botswana and comprises two adjoining national parks: Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. The...
. The seven game reserves are the Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Central Kalahari Game Reserve is an extensive national park in the Kalahari desert of Botswana. Established in 1961 it covers an area of 52,800 km² making it the second largest game reserve in the world.The park contains wildlife such as giraffe, brown hyena, warthog, cheetah, wild dog,...
, Gaborone Game Reserve, Khutse Game Reserve
Khutse Game Reserve
Khutse Game Reserve is a National Park in Botswana....
, Mannyelanong Game Reserve, Maun Game Reserve and Moremi Game Reserve. In addition, a number of small privately owned reserves are maintained.
Geography
The Kalahari DesertKalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah in Southern Africa extending , covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert...
, which extends on its western borders into South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
and Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, is a flat terrain, which covers about 84% of Botswana, known by the epithet "thirstland". It is in fact covered by shrubland vegetation of trees, grasslands, scrub and thorny bushes. Apart from scattered hills and valleys, the dunes system of the southern part contains pans that fill with water during the rains, sustaining the wildlife with its nutrients and grasses.
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park, in northwest Botswana, has one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa. By size, it is the third largest park of the country, after the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Gemsbok National Park, and is the most diverse...
, with its four ecosystems, is known for its largest wildlife concentration in Africa, extends over an area of 10566 square kilometres (4,079.6 sq mi). Initially established as a reserve area in 1960 became the first gazetted national park in 1967. Chobe River valley forms the northeast part of the park and has thick forests and lush green plains. The marshland of Savuti forms the western zone. The hinterland is hemmed between the marshland of Savuti on the west and the Linyanti Swamps on its northwest. San people or the Basarwa were the original inhabitants of this land who were hunter gatherers. The park's elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
population is the largest in Botswana, and the animals' seasonal migratory route covers 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) between the Chobe and Linyanti rivers. The body size of the elephants here is the largest. However, their ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
is brittle and their tusk
Tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth, usually but not always in pairs, that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canines, as with warthogs, wild boar, and walruses, or, in the case of elephants and narwhals, elongated incisors...
s are generally short. Some of the other faunal species seen here are sable, wildebeest, kudu, buffalo and waterbuck, apart from lion, hyena, jackal, bat-eared fox, cheetah and wild dogs.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a large wildlife preserve and conservation area in southern Africa. The park straddles the border between South Africa and Botswana and comprises two adjoining national parks: Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. The...
(KTP), a transboundary park between Botswana and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, was the first conservation area to be set in the southern Kalahari Desert in May 2000. Out of a total area of 38000 square kilometres (14,671.9 sq mi), Botswana has control over 28400 square kilometres (10,965.3 sq mi) while the balance 9600 square kilometres (3,706.6 sq mi) is with South Africa. Two ecological zones of savannahs and grasslands of Africa in semi-arid environment, with least anthropological pressure, are represented here by ungulates and large carnivores mammals. The rich faunal and floral diversity has involved several research projects. Its approach from Goborone involves road travel over a distance of 865 kilometres (537.5 mi).
Makgadikgadi and Nxai National Park
The Makgadikgadi and Nxai National Park, which cover a large area of 7500 square kilometres (2,895.8 sq mi) were established in 1970s. They have complementarity in wild life migrations, which necessitated merging the two parks into a single entity. It has the pans of Ntwetwe, Makgadikgadi, Nxai, Baines' Baobabs and Kudiakam.Khutse Game Reserve
Khutse Game ReserveKhutse Game Reserve
Khutse Game Reserve is a National Park in Botswana....
established in 1971, covering an area of 2500 square kilometres (965.3 sq mi) in Bakwena tribal land, has undulating topography of the bush savanna vegetation. It is sparsely populated due to poor water sources and wild life in the mineralised pan system within Khutse has been their major source of sustenance. The wild life of herbivore
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
thrived on grass growing in the pans which in turn has attracted predators.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
The Central Kalahari Game ReserveCentral Kalahari Game Reserve
Central Kalahari Game Reserve is an extensive national park in the Kalahari desert of Botswana. Established in 1961 it covers an area of 52,800 km² making it the second largest game reserve in the world.The park contains wildlife such as giraffe, brown hyena, warthog, cheetah, wild dog,...
, the second largest reserve in Botswana covering an area of 52800 square kilometres (20,386.2 sq mi), is a habitat of open plains, salt pans and riverbeds. It has wooded mopane
Mopane
The mopane or mopani tree grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, in elevation, in the far northern parts of southern Africa, into South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Angola and Malawi. The tree only occurs in Africa and is the only species in genus Colophospermum...
forests in the south and east. The indigenous people residing here since ancient times are known as bushmen
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
or the Basarwa or San. Its fame is also due to its Deception Valley where the study of brown hyena
Brown Hyena
The brown hyena is a species of hyena which occurs in Namibia, Botswana, western and southern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique and South Africa. It is currently the rarest hyena.-Description:...
(Parahyaena brunnea) has been carried out. Deception was the name given to the salt pans of the valley, which gave deceptive sight (mirage) of a water body from a distance. Tree Island used to be the main camping ground here. "Cry of the Kalahari", a famous book made this a popular place. Wild animals such as giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
, brown hyena, warthog, wild dog, cheetah, leopard, lion, blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, kudu, red hartebeest and springbok are seen in the pans and valleys, particularly during the period from December to April.
Flora
Floral diversity of vegetation in Botswana, which receives only an average annual rainfall of about 450 millimetres (17.7 in) only, is generally defined under three broad heads namely, hardweld, sandveld and Okavango deltaved which show seasonal difference in its nutrition value, with woody plants recording higher values compared to the grasses; PanicumPanicum
Panicum is a large genus of about 450 species of grasses native throughout the tropical regions of the world, with a few species extending into the northern temperate zone...
has recorded more nutritional content during the rainy season.
Hardweld vegetation consists of woody plants and grasses. The woody plants are; Acacia karroo
Acacia karroo
Acacia karroo also known as the Sweet Thorn, is a species of Acacia, native to southern Africa from southern Angola east to Mozambique, and south to South Africa....
, Albizzia anthelmintica, Balanites aegyptiaca
Balanites aegyptiaca
Balanites aegyptiaca is a species of tree, classified either as a member of the Zygophyllaceae or the Balanitaceae. This tree is native to much of Africa and parts of the Middle East....
, Mopane
Mopane
The mopane or mopani tree grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, in elevation, in the far northern parts of southern Africa, into South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Angola and Malawi. The tree only occurs in Africa and is the only species in genus Colophospermum...
(Colophospermum mopane), Combretum apiculatum
Combretum
The bushwillows or combretums, Combretum, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 370 species of trees and shrubs, roughly 300 of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, some 25 to tropical Asia and approximately 40 to tropical...
, Grewia bicolor
Grewia
The large flowering plant genus Grewia is today placed by most authors in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by in the APG. Formerly, it was placed in either the linden family or the Sparrmanniaceae...
, Grewia flavecens, Grewia monticola, Lonchocarpus capassa and Terminalia
Terminalia (plant)
Terminalia is a genus of large trees of the flowering plant family Combretaceae, comprising around 100 species distributed in tropical regions of the world. This genus gets it name from Latin terminus, referring to the fact that the leaves appear at the very tips of the shoots.Trees of this genus...
.
Sanveld of the Kalhari desert’s vegetation expanse consists of grasses namely, Kragrostis pallens, Striagostis uniplumis, Anthephora pubescens
Anthephora pubescens
Anthephora pubescens is a grass native to Africa and Asia...
, Schmidtia pappophoreides and Megaloprotachne albescens. Woody plants recorded are the Grewia avellana
Grewia
The large flowering plant genus Grewia is today placed by most authors in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by in the APG. Formerly, it was placed in either the linden family or the Sparrmanniaceae...
, Grewia retinervis, Lonchocarpus nelsii and Terminalia sericia.
Okavango deltavedhas has both grasses and woody plants. The woody plants are the Fecus verruculosa and the Hyphaene crinata. The grasses reported are the Phragmites communis
Phragmites
Phragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...
, Dichanthium papillusum, Panicum repens, Andropogon encomus, Echinochloa pyramidelis and Imperata cylindrica.
Although about 90% of Botswana is covered by some kind of savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
, even the Kalahari Desert
Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah in Southern Africa extending , covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert...
contains adequate vegetation to support tens of thousands of wild animals. Small areas of forest exist, but only in the far north along the Chobe River. Gruff shrubland tends to grow in the dryer desert areas, whilst trees tend to grow in the swamps, particularly in the Okavango delta which have access to more water to thrive. Botswana is home to over 2500 species of plants and over 650 species of trees.
Trees
Common trees are the mopaneMopane
The mopane or mopani tree grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, in elevation, in the far northern parts of southern Africa, into South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Angola and Malawi. The tree only occurs in Africa and is the only species in genus Colophospermum...
, baobab
Baobab
Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island....
, marula
Sclerocarya birrea
The Marula is a medium-sized dioecious tree, indigenous to the miombo woodlands of Southern Africa and the Sudano-Sahelian range of West Africa. The tree is a single stemmed tree with a wide spreading crown...
, acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
, camel thorn, motopi (shepherd’s tree), wild date palm, papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
, sycamore fig tree
Ficus sycomorus
Ficus sycomorus, called the sycamore fig or the fig-mulberry , sycamore, or sycomore, is a fig species that has been cultivated since ancient times...
, real fan palm, African mangosteen and the sausage tree. The trees tend to grow in areas with a plentiful supply of water, such as in the Okavango Delta swamps.
The baobab tree, known as mowana in the Setswana language are some of the long living trees in Botwana and may grow older than 2000 years. The bark is characteristically pinkish-grey in colour, with a shiny tint. Large white flowers, averaging about 12 cm across and appear between October and December, whilst the greyish-brown fruits which average about 24 cm in length appear in April–May.
The marula or morula tree, belonging to the mango family Anacardiaceae
Anacardiaceae
Anacardiaceae are a family of flowering plants bearing fruits that are drupes and in some cases producing urushiol, an irritant. Anacardiaceae include numerous genera with several of economic importance. Notable plants in this family include cashew , mango, poison ivy, sumac, smoke tree, and marula...
, grows to an average of 15 metres (and up to 20 metres) in the Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta , in Botswana, is the world's largest inland delta. It is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in an endorheic basin in the Kalahari Desert, where most of the water is lost to evaporation and transpiration instead of draining into the sea...
in bushveld and woodland, and has a greyish bark and is deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
. From January to July, the leaves are grey-green but eventually turn pale yellow and fall off in the latter part of the year during the winter. During the summer months the trees exhibit round to oval fruit, rich in Vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
, with a thick peel covering white slippery pulp, which like the leaves turns increasingly yellow at the end of the blooming season. It also bears flowers, pinkish with male and red-purple and white with female.; the male tends to be larger and borne on sparse drooping racemes.
Wild date palm is one of only two species of palm tree which occur in the Okavango Delta, the other being the real fan palm
Hyphaene petersiana
The Real fan palm , locally known as the Makalani palm, is a palm tree native to the subtropical, lowlying regions of south central Africa. They are found in open woodland, flood plains, banks of rivers and the fringes of pans and swamps.As with other Hyphaene spp., they are dioicous and the female...
. The palm, an evergreen, tends to reach a height of around 6 metres (19.7 ft) and grows in abundance in the swamps in Botswana, along with the papyrus. It exhibits feather-shaped leaves, as compared to the fan-shaped leaves of the real fan palm. The leaves typically grow to about 3–4 m (9.8–13.1 ) in length with some spiny basal leaflets and others which are dark green and glossy in appearance. Male florets of the tree are pale dirty-yellow and caduceus
Caduceus
The caduceus is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings...
and female florets are smaller, globose and have a greener yellow colouring.
The sycamore fig tree
Ficus sycomorus
Ficus sycomorus, called the sycamore fig or the fig-mulberry , sycamore, or sycomore, is a fig species that has been cultivated since ancient times...
is one of the largest trees growing in Botswana, typically found in the Okavango delta growing up to 20 metres. A semi-deciduous tree, it has a deeply fluted stem with bright orange bark and grows figs up to 3 cm in diameter which eventually turn pale red to red when mature from green and peak between July and December.
The deciduous water-thriving African mangosteen in Botswana can grow up to 18 metres (59.1 ft) in height, identifiable by its bare, evenly sectioned yellowish-grey stem which stands out against its dense, very dark crown. The bark is grey in colour and the tree sports dark green, shiny leathery leaves averaging 9 centimetres (3.5 in) by 3 centimetres (1.2 in), with a yellow veining are diagnostic. The fruit which the tree bears is oval and of a pinky-orange colour, about 2.5 centimetre (0.984251968503937 in) in diameter on average and appears from November to February.
The mmilo tree, the species Vangueria infausta
Vangueria infausta
Vangueria infausta is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. This shrub or small tree occurs in abundance in woodlands, scrub, valleys, stony kopjies, or sandy dunes throughout much of South Africa...
of the Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
family grows is a small deciduous shrub occurring in wooded grassland and bushveld, particular in rocky areas. It exhibits a yellowish-brown drupe, subglobose edible fruit, up to 35 millimetres (1.4 in) in diameter of which the seed is often obtained to create a dish called nchwachwa during the dry winter season.
The species Kigelia africana of sausage tree grows in the Okavango Delta, especially in the Xakanaxa, Third Bridge
Third Bridge
The Bridge Deputy Darcy Castelo of Mendonça, colloquially known as the Third Bridge , is the second tallest bridge in Brazil, connecting the cities of Vila Velha and Vitória in the state of Espirito Santo...
and Mboma Island areas, and can reach heights of up to 20 metres (65.6 ft), making it amongst the tallest trees in Botswana. It is noted for its fruits which resemble oversized sausages and can weigh up to 4–5 kg and up to 50 centimetres (19.7 in) long and 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in diameter. The bark is grey and smooth in younger trees and may exhibit leaves up to 30 centimetres (11.8 in) long and dark red to maroon cup-shaped flowers measuring 15 by 15 cm, which bloom in August to October.
Fauna
Botswana is a natural game reserve for most animals found in southern Africa, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, zebras, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, African buffalo, hyenas, and 22 species of antelope. The duikerDuiker
A duiker is any of about 21 small to medium-sized antelope species from the subfamily Cephalophinae native to Sub-Saharan Africa.Duikers are shy and elusive creatures with a fondness for dense cover; most are forest dwellers and even the species living in more open areas are quick to disappear...
(a small, horned antelope), wildebeest (gnu), and springbok (gazelle) are familiar.
Bird species reported are 593 out of which eight species are under the globally threatened category. Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus, Syn. Bubulcus ibis coromandus) is the national bird of Botswana.
Mammals
Mammals found in Botwana include aardwolfAardwolf
The aardwolf is a small, insectivorous mammal, native to Eastern and Southern Africa. The name means "earth wolf" in Afrikaans/Dutch. It is also called "maanhaar jackal". It is related to hyenas, but unlike its relatives, it does not hunt large prey. This unusual animal preys on insects...
, african buffalo
African Buffalo
The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear...
, african bush elephant
African Bush Elephant
The African Bush Elephant or African Savanna Elephant is the larger of the two species of African elephant. Both it and the African Forest Elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African Elephant...
, african civet
African Civet
The African Civet is the largest representative of the African Viverridae. It is the sole member of its genus. African Civets can be found from coast to coast across sub-Saharan Africa. They are primarily nocturnal and spend the day sleeping in dense vegetation...
, african golden cat
African Golden Cat
The African Golden Cat is a medium-sized wild cat distributed over the rainforests of West and Central Africa. It is about long, and has a tail of about in length...
, african manatee
African Manatee
The African manatee , also known as the West African manatee or seacow, is a species of manatee and is the most endangered of the four species of sirenians. Scientists think they are most similar to West Indian manatees...
, african striped weasel
African striped weasel
The African striped weasel , the lone member of genus Poecilogale, is a small black and white weasel native to sub-Saharan Africa. It looks very much like a striped polecat, but it is much thinner and has shorter hair. It is a sleek, black color with a white tail and four white stripes running...
, banded mongoose
Banded Mongoose
The Banded Mongoose is a mongoose commonly found in the central and eastern parts of Africa. It lives in savannas, open forests and grasslands and feeds primarily on beetles and millipedes. Mongooses use various types of dens for shelter including termite mounds...
, bat-eared fox
Bat-eared Fox
The bat-eared fox is a canid of the African savanna, named for its large ears. Fossil records show this canid to first appear during the middle Pleistocene, about 800,000 years ago....
, black rhinoceros
Black Rhinoceros
The Black Rhinoceros or Hook-lipped Rhinoceros , is a species of rhinoceros, native to the eastern and central areas of Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Angola...
, black-footed cat
Black-footed Cat
The black-footed cat is the smallest African cat, and is endemic in the south west arid zone of the southern African subregion. It is one of the lesser studied African carnivores, and has been listed as Vulnerable by IUCN since 2002....
, blue duiker
Blue Duiker
Blue Duiker is a small forest dwelling duiker found in the Central Africa and southern South Africa.Blue Duikers stand around 35 centimetres tall at the shoulder and weigh 4 kilograms.They are the smallest of the antelope family. Blue Duikers have a brown coat with a slight blue tinge – hence...
, bongo (antelope)
Bongo (antelope)
The western or lowland bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus, is a herbivorous, mostly nocturnal forest ungulate and among the largest of the African forest antelope species....
, brown hyena
Brown Hyena
The brown hyena is a species of hyena which occurs in Namibia, Botswana, western and southern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique and South Africa. It is currently the rarest hyena.-Description:...
, bushbuck
Bushbuck
The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is found in rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics and bush savannaforest and woodland. Recently, genetic studies have shown that the bushbuck, is in fact a complex of two geographically and phenotypically...
, cape fox
Cape Fox
The Cape fox , also called the cama fox or the silver-backed fox, is a small fox.It has black or silver gray fur with flanks and underside in light yellow. The tip of its tail is always black....
, cape fur seal
Cape Fur Seal
The brown fur seal , also known as the Cape fur seal, South African fur seal and the Australian fur seal is a species of fur seal.-Description:...
, cape hyrax
Cape Hyrax
The Rock Hyrax , or Cape Hyrax, is one of the four living species of the order Hyracoidea, and the only living species in the genus Procavia. Like all hyraxes, it is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal, superficially resembling a guinea pig with short ears and tail...
, caracal
Caracal
The caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...
, cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
, common duiker
Common Duiker
The Common Duiker, Sylvicapra grimmia, also known as the Grey or Bush Duiker, is a small antelope with small horns found in west, central, east, and southern Africa- essentially everywhere in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the horn of Africa and the rainforests of the central and western...
, common eland
Common Eland
The common eland , also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is the largest antelope in the African continent...
, gemsbok
Gemsbok
The gemsbok or gemsbuck is a large antelope in the Oryx genus. It is native to the arid regions of southern Africa, but formerly some authorities included the East African Oryx as a subspecies...
, giant sable antelope
Giant Sable Antelope
The Giant Sable Antelope, Hippotragus niger variani, also known in Portuguese as the Palanca Negra Gigante, is a large, rare subspecies of Sable Antelope native and endemic to the region between Cuango and Luando Rivers in Angola....
, giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
, greater kudu
Greater Kudu
The Greater Kudu is a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas, due to a declining habitat, deforestation and hunting....
, ground pangolin, hartebeest
Hartebeest
The hartebeest is a grassland antelope found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. It is one of the three species classified in the genus Alcelaphus....
, hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
, impala
Impala
An impala is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language meaning "gazelle"...
, kirk's dik-dik
Kirk's Dik-dik
Kirk's Dik-dik is a small antelope found in eastern and southwestern Africa. It grows to in length and weighs up to when full grown. It has a reddish-brown head and a tail that is long....
, klipspringer
Klipspringer
The Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus, is a small species of African antelope.-Name:The word klipspringer literally means "rock jumper" in Afrikaans/Dutch...
, lechwe
Lechwe
The Lechwe, or Southern Lechwe, is an antelope found in Botswana, Zambia, south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, north-eastern Namibia, and eastern Angola, especially in the Okavango Delta, Kafue Flats and Bangweulu Swamps....
, leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
, marsh mongoose
Marsh Mongoose
The Marsh Mongoose, or Water Mongoose, is a medium-sized mammal but a large mongoose. Weight can range from , with an average range of . From the head to the base of the tail, these animals range from , with the tail adding . It is a member of the mongoose family and the only member of its genus...
, meerkat
Meerkat
The meerkat or suricate, Suricata suricatta, is a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan"...
, mountain zebra
Mountain Zebra
The Mountain Zebra, Equus zebra, is a threatened species of equid native to south-western Angola, Namibia and South Africa. It has two subspecies, the Cape Mountain Zebra and Hartmann's Mountain Zebra , though it has been suggested these should be considered separate species.-Taxonomy:In 2004,...
, oribi
Oribi
Oribi are graceful slender-legged, long-necked small antelope found in grassland almost throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.-Description:...
, plains zebra
Plains Zebra
The plains zebra , also known as the common zebra or Burchell's zebra, is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. It ranges from the south of Ethiopia through East Africa to as far south as Angola and eastern South Africa...
, roan antelope
Roan Antelope
The Roan Antelope is a savanna antelope found in West, Central, East Africa and Southern Africa.Roan Antelope stand about a metre and half at the shoulder and weigh around 250 kilograms. Named for the "roan' colour , they have a lighter underbelly, white eyebrows and cheeks and a black face,...
, sable antelope
Sable Antelope
The Sable Antelope is an antelope which inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa.-Subspecies:There are four subspecies:* H. n. niger which is considered low risk conservation dependent...
, serval
Serval
The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...
, sharpe's grysbok, sitatunga
Sitatunga
The situtunga or marshbuck is a swamp-dwelling antelope found throughout Central Africa, centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and parts of Southern Sudan as well as in Ghana, Botswana, Zambia, Gabon, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.-Description:Situtunga stand about one and a...
, southern reedbuck
Southern Reedbuck
The Southern Reedbuck, Rietbok or Common Reedbuck is a diurnal antelope typically found in southern Africa.It was first described by Pieter Boddaert, a Dutch physician and naturalist, in 1785...
, spotted hyena
Spotted Hyena
The spotted hyena also known as laughing hyena, is a carnivorous mammal of the family Hyaenidae, of which it is the largest extant member. Though the species' prehistoric range included Eurasia extending from Atlantic Europe to China, it now only occurs in all of Africa south of the Sahara save...
, springbok antelope
Springbok Antelope
The springbok is a medium-sized brown and white gazelle that stands about high. Springbok males weigh between and the females between...
, steenbok
Steenbok
The Steenbok, Raphicerus campestris, is a common small antelope of southern and eastern Africa. It is sometimes known as the Steinbuck or Steinbok.- Description :...
, topi
Topi
The Tsessebe , is one of five subspecies in the binomial class D. lunatus. The other subspecies include Korrigum , Tiang , Coastal Topi , and Topi . Tesessebe are found primarily in Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa...
, warthog
Warthog
The Warthog or Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P...
, waterbuck
Waterbuck
The Waterbuck is a large antelope found widely in Sub-Saharan Africa.Waterbuck stand at the shoulder. Males weigh and females . Their coats are reddish brown in colour and become progressively darker with age; they have a white 'bib' under their throats and white on their rumps...
, wildebeest
Wildebeest
The wildebeest , also called the gnu is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved mammal...
, yellow mongoose
Yellow Mongoose
The Yellow Mongoose , sometimes referred to as the Red Meerkat, is a small mammal averaging about 1 lb in weight and about 20 in in length...
and yellow-backed duiker
Yellow-backed Duiker
The Yellow-backed Duiker , is an antelope found in central and western Africa. They have the widest range of any duiker in the genus Cephalophus....
.
The Lions Park, called the St. Claire Lion Park is located in an open land, about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Goborone, the fastest growing capital city of Botswana.
Khama Rhino Sanctuary
Khama Rhino Sanctuary was established in 1980s, in 300 hectares (741.3 acre) of Kalahari sandveld with Serowe Pan, primarily to protect the rhinos which at that time was listed subject to poaching causing fears of extinction. A community trust was established t protect the black and white rhino species left in the area. There are also other indigenous wild life species including birds in the park.Mokolodi Park
Mokolodi Park spreads over a 10000 hectares (24,710.5 acre) area, is a park maintained by the Mokolodi Wildlife Foundation, a private organization, near Goborone. Its ecosystem has, as result of restocking efforts, witnessed proliferation of many species of wild life like white rhino, cheetah, mountain reedbuck, giraffe, zebra, red hartebeest, sable, gemsbok, reared elephants which coexists along with the indigenous fauna such as kuduKudu
The kudus are two species of antelope of the genus Tragelaphus:*Lesser Kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis*Greater Kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros- Etymology :...
, impala, hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
, leopard and water buck. The park is developed as game sanctuary with extensive network of jeepable paths, which permits viewing the wild life at close quarters. The park administration is planning to expand its limits of conservation area up to the Lion Park
Lion Park
Lion Park is a 2 km² lion wildlife conservation enclosure in Gauteng province in South Africa.The Lion Park is situated near Lanseria Airport and Fourways within distance of Johannesburg and Pretoria...
opposite to Crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
Pools.
Northern Tuli Game Reserve
The Northern Tuli Game Reserve is a private reserve covering an area of 46000 hectares (113,668.4 acre) made up of savannah plains, riverine forests, open marshland and rugged outcrops of sandstone. It is the largest private reserve in Southern Africa. It has the largest elephant population in the world. In addition, more than 350 species of birds have been reported here. Other fauna of Botswana are also commonly found here.Birds
The twelve important ornithological sitesOrnithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
selected in Botswana of which seven are wetlands and which are recognized and supported by the Birdlife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
known for their bird life cover more than 25% of the land surface of the country. These parks are: The Chobe National Park; the Linyanti Swamp along the Chobe River; the Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta , in Botswana, is the world's largest inland delta. It is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in an endorheic basin in the Kalahari Desert, where most of the water is lost to evaporation and transpiration instead of draining into the sea...
, the Lake Ngami
Lake Ngami
Lake Ngami is an endorheic lake in Botswana north of the Kalahari Desert. It is seasonally filled by the Taughe River an affluent of the Okavango River system flowing out of the western side of the Okavango Delta. It is one of the fragmented remnants of the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi...
; the Makgadikgadi Pans; the Central Kalahari; the Manyelanong Hill; the Tswapong Hills; the Boka Dam; the Phakalane Sewage Lagoons; the Southeast Botswana; and the Gemsbok National Park. An initiative started by the IBA is of setting up 'Site Support Groups' (SSGs), an organised group of local people with the objective to "sustain biodiversity to sustain livelihoods in rural Botswana"; there are 150 SSGs in important bird areas reported to be functioning throughout Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Red-footed Falcon
Red-footed Falcon
The Red-footed Falcon , formerly Western Red-footed Falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting. It is migratory, wintering in Africa...
(Falco vespertinus}, Amur Falcon
Amur Falcon
The Amur Falcon , formerly Eastern Red-footed Falcon, is a small raptor of the falcon family. It breeds in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China, wintering in Southern Africa...
(Falco amurensis) and Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow
The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
(Hirundo rustica) and Cape Vulture
Cape Vulture
The Cape Griffon or Cape Vulture , also known as Kolbe's Vulture, is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is endemic to southern Africa, and is found mainly in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana and in some parts of northern Namibia...
(Gyps coprotheres) are some of the birds reported by IBA from the grasslands, wetlands, hills, in areas of Kalahari Highveld, deltas and around lakes created by dams.
The Botswana Bird Club (BBC) established in 1980, now renamed as BirdLife Botswana promotes ornithological knowledge and interest and also publishes a biannual journal called "The Babbler" and a quarterly newsletter known as "The Familiar Chat" dealing with all issues of bird conservation, research and training in Botswana.
Manyelanong Game Reserve’s small cliffs protect a breeding colony of Cape Vultures, the largest such colony in Botswana and hence called the "Otse Vulture Colony" as its vultures are an endangered species protected by law. Protection has enabled the species to proliferate; its numbers in recent years are 70 breeding pairs seen in the colony.
Nata Bird Sanctuary
Nata Bird Sanctuary
Nata Bird Sanctuary
The Nata Bird Sanctuary, the only protected reserve in Botswana in the northeastern periphery of Sowa Pan, is a community-managed project, with assistance from the Nata Conservation Committee and national and international organizations. Founded in 1988, it opened for operations in 1993; it...
, established in the early 1990s, is situated to the far northeastern edge of Sowa Pan. It encompasses an area of 230 square kilometres (88.8 sq mi) and maintained as a community project to preserve its 165 bird species. Some of the species reported are the kingfishers, bee-eaters, eagles
Eagles
The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.With five number one singles, six Grammys, five American Music Awards, and six number one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the...
, bustards and ostriches. Water birds of Africa flock to this place during winter; the bird species reported are teal
Teal
Teal may mean:* Teal , a medium greenish-blue color* Various ducks:** Baikal Teal, Anas formosa** Black Teal, Aythya novaeseelandiae** Blue-winged Teal, Anas discors** Brown Teal, Anas aucklandica** Campbell Teal Anas nesiotis...
s, ducks, geese, pelicans, spoonbill
Spoonbill
Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises.All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side...
s, Greater Flamingo
Greater Flamingo
The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is found in parts of Africa, southern Asia , and southern Europe...
and Lesser Flamingo
Lesser Flamingo
The Lesser Flamingo is a species in the flamingo family of birds that resides in Africa and in southern Asia...
. The flamingos and pelicans also breed here.
Gaborone Game Reserve
Gaborone Game Reserve, near the city of Gaborone, has a small area of 600 hectares (1,482.6 acre) but provides for popular viewing along roads. It has plenty of birds and wild life in its precincts The reserve is habitat of thorn scrub and woodland to riverine forest and marshland which attracts a wide variety of birds such as raptors a snake eagle, crimson boubou
Laniarius
Laniarius is a genus of brightly coloured, carnivorous passerine birds commonly known as boubous or gonoleks. Not to be confused with the similar-sounding genus Lanius, they were formerly classed with the true shrikes in the family Laniidae, but they and related genera are now considered...
(a genus of brightly coloured, carnivorous passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird} and gallinule. Faunal species seen here are the rhino, impala, kudu, ostriches, wildebeest, zebra, gemsbok, bushbuck, springbok, duiker the eland
Giant Eland
The giant eland is an open forest savannah antelope. It is found in Central African Republic, South Sudan, Cameroon and Senegal. There are two subspecies: the endangered T. d. derbianus, found in Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park, and the low risk T. d...
(Taurotragus derbianus} also known as the Lord Derby Eland), which is Africa's largest antelope.
Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi Game Reserve, established in 1965 and expanded over the years and now covering an area of 4871 square kilometres (1,880.7 sq mi), it is the habitat of mopane
Mopane
The mopane or mopani tree grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, in elevation, in the far northern parts of southern Africa, into South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Angola and Malawi. The tree only occurs in Africa and is the only species in genus Colophospermum...
woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons. It is said to be one of the most beautiful reserves in Africa maintained by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Birdlife in the park is wide and of varied species; water birds to shy forest dwellers are commonly seen. Other wild life fauna such as elephants, hippo
Hippo
A hippo or hippopotamus is either of two species of large African mammal which live mainly in and near water:* Hippopotamus* Pygmy HippopotamusHippo may also refer to:-Given names:...
s (found in large number in the Hippo Pool), a few rhino and the red lechwe.