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Game Migration
Some of Botswana animals have seasonal migrations. The patterns of these migrations have changed in recent years. However, the big picture was that large numbers of big herbivores (elephant, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and hartebeest) put strain on the vegetation in a given locale and so moving around gave the vegetation a chance to recover. The pattern was that the game would move into the Kalahari during the rainy season (November to April). Here they would find small pools to drink from, and then they would gradually migrate back to the permanent water sources when the dry season progressed.
These migrations do still occur, however are not at large as what they have been in the past. There are a couple of factors which have caused the decrease in the migration, namely:
1. Competition for land from humans and their domestic stock which has reduced the possible range of wildlife, and caused some problems by monopolizing some of the few areas of permanent water in the Kalahari.
2. The erection of long, game proof, disease control fences which have appeared across the migration routes in the Kalahari. Currently in Botswana, the migration is a modes but noticeable drift of game away from the main water points of the Chobe, Linyanti and Okavango around the start of the rainy season. This is generally during November. The game gradually returns to the theses areas as the dry season progresses (May onwards). The more detailed pattern varies with the different game species.
Elephant and Buffalo have similar movements, as the rains come their large herds split into smaller family groups, of which some move away from the Linyanti and Okavango systems. They spread out into the drier land areas, which are dominated by mopane. Those from the Chobe Riverfront area move into the Chobe Forest Reserve and into the rest of the Chobe National Park, or into Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park and Matetsi area. From May they migrate back and gradually join up into large herds again. During September and October, the Chobe and Kwando-Linyanti areas have some of the most amazing densities of buffalo and elephant in Africa.
The zebra migration is more complex and is still under study. Generally during the rainy season, large herds of zebra congregate on the Makgadikgadi Pans. During the dry season, the zebra congregate along the Boteti River, on the Western side of the game reserve. Separate populations of zebra from the Okavango, Chobe and Linyanti areas move to more open areas of the Kalahari. Some of these groups pass through the sweet grass plains of the Savuti area around April / May. This often coincides with the foaling season. The Wildebeest towards the north of Botswana follow a similar pattern to the zebra, however those in the south of the Kalahari are now a separate population.
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