Wildlife of the Okavango Delta

This is a great opportunity to discover more about the world’s largest Ramsar site, the Okavango Delta in Botswana. At approximately 68,640 square kilometres the Okavango Delta System is hydrologically unique, the largest inland delta in sub-Saharan Africa. In terms of biodiversity, the site is a treasure trove. It is home to a large population of sitatuga and red lechwe antelope, a significant population of wild dog and 72 small mammal species, as well as 95 species of reptiles and amphibians.

The Okavango Delta Ramsar site extends across three of Botswana’s Important Bird Areas and it embraces a wide range of wetland habitats from rivers, narrow papyrus-fringed channels, lagoons and permanent swamp to seasonally inundated floodplains and pans, as well as terrestrial habitats such as tree islands, riverine forest, Acacia savannah, grasslands and Mopani woodland.These habitats support more than 450 bird species including the single largest concentration of wattled cranes and 75-80% of the world’s slaty egrets. Both wattled crane and slaty egret are globally threatened species, occurring only in Africa.

Febe van Tonder, a native born South African and volunteer at WWT London Wetland Centre, will be looking at the threats and joys of the Delta and she will also be talking about an exciting planned trip to the region in August/September 2012.