Boteti River

The Boteti carries Okavango water south and forms the western boundary of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. It stopped flowing for most of the 1990s and 2000s and returned in 2009. When the pans dry out at the end of the wet season, the zebra that have been grazing on them move west to the Boteti to drink, and the crossings and riverbank concentrations from August to November are the reason to be here. The round trip these zebra make is among the longest mammal migrations on the continent.

History

In the early and middle 20th century the lower Boteti, below Sukwane, was a major grain-growing area, with more than 2,000 hectares farmed until 1980, and the river was channelled below Rakops to send more water to the Mopipi Dam. It flowed all year until the mid-1990s, after which weaker flows left some lower reaches dry for part of the year (Wikipedia, Boteti River).

What you'll find

• The zebra concentrations - herds coming to the river as the pans dry out.
• The river crossings - animals moving across at established points.
• The predators - lion and hyena working the crossings in the dry months.
• The steep banks - cut banks along the river with hippo in the pools.

When to go

August to November is the peak, when the pans have dried and the zebra are on the river. December to April sends the herds east onto the pans and the river is quiet. The rains make the western tracks heavy.

Practical notes

Outside the dry-season concentration the area can be very quiet. The ferry and river crossing arrangements change with water levels. Campsites at Khumaga book up well ahead in the peak months.

Nearby

Makgadikgadi Pans park runs east, and Nxai Pan is north.

Key facts