Botswana ::Sandibe Safari Lodge

Extraordinary African wildlife: Sandibe’s five distinct habitats within the beautiful Okavango Delta wilderness support an incredible diversity of wildlife:

Large herds of elephant and buffalo
Endangered African wild dog
Resident rare Pel’s fishing owls
Semi-aquatic red lechwe antelope
Exceptional birdlife including numerous ‘Okavango Specials’
Elegant groves of real fan palms
Impressive baobab, leadwood and sausage trees

Sandibe Safari Lodge habitats:
Open woodland savanna is dominated by impressive specimens of knob thorn, umbrella thorn, marula and leadwood trees, with occasional monumental baobabs. Evergreen riverine forest grows alongside Okavango Delta channels and on the fringes of islands, with mahogany, jackalberry, sausage tree, sycamore fig and mangosteen prominent. Floodplain grasslands consist of grass species which are able to withstand seasonal inundation. Palm savanna is an open grassy habitat typified by groves of tall palm and fragrant wild sage. Permanent channels and swamps are crowded with papyrus, miscanthus grass and colonies of swamp fig. Lagoons of open water are typically decorated with water lily, water chestnut and other aquatic plants.

Mammals at Sandibe Safari Lodge:
Larger herbivores, including elephant and large herds of buffalo, move in and out of the area. Lion prides, cheetah, leopard and African wild dog may be encountered. Herds of red lechwe favour the edges of floodplains, often feeding in the company of tsessebe. Hippos reside in deeper channels and lagoons. Honey badgers are observed during daylight hours. Roan and sable antelope favour taller grass in open woodlands while the sitatunga keep to dense papyrus beds. Families of dwarf and banded mongoose occupy large termite mounds. Noisy fruit-bats sip nectar from baobab and sausage tree blooms, and feast on ripe figs.

Birds at Sandibe Safari Lodge:
An impressive 349 species are recorded. Slaty egret, lesser jacana, wattled crane, coppery-tailed coucal, Hartlaub’s babbler, greater swamp warbler, chirping cisticola, swamp boubou and brown firefinch are ‘Okavango Specials’. Common in savanna are Dickinson’s kestrel, red-billed spurfowl, Kalahari scrub-robin and violet-eared waxbill. Herons, egrets, storks and other waterfowl abound with flocks following the receding floodwaters. African pygmy goose, white-backed duck and African jacana favour lily-covered lagoons. Abundant African fish-eagle course the waterways in search of prey. After dark, the rare Pel’s fishing-owl emerges to sit in wait at clear pools.

Other African wildlife:
Predatory tigerfish and African pike flourish in clear waters, where various tilapia, catfish and squeakers also thrive. Dazzling dragonflies pursue prey along waterways. Colourful painted reed-frog, long reed-frog and bubbling kassina are commonly encountered frogs. Nile crocodile, water monitor and Okavango hinged-terrapin are common aquatic reptiles. Massive termite colonies are the foundations for Okavango islands and these industrious insects form an important component of the diet for many mammals and birds.

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