Moremi Game Reserve

Moremi, hunted by the Bushman as long as 10,000 years ago, was initiated by the Batawana tribe and covers some 4,871 km2, as the eastern section of the Okavango Delta. Moremi is mostly described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa. It combines mopane woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons. It is the great diversity of plant and animal life that makes Moremi so well known.

The idea to create a game reserve first originated in 1961 and was approved by the Batawana at a kgotla in 1963. The area was then officially designated as a game reserve in April 1965 and was initially run by the Fauna Conservation Society of Ngamiland. Moremi was then extended to include Chiefs Island in 1976. In August 1979 the reserve was taken over by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. A further extension was added as recently as 1992 and now the reserve contains within its boundaries approximately twenty percent of the Okavango Delta.

How to get there
Travelling north-east from Maun, firstly along a fine full width tar road to Shorobe, then on a wide gravel road, a veterinary control fence is encountered – locally known as the buffalo fence, constructed to protect the flourishing cattle industry to the south from any diseases that may be carried by wildlife. Passing through the gate, a first glimpse of the reason that this is described as 4×4 country is obtained, as the deep sandy track ahead is in stark contrast to the previous road. After a short distance, a left hand fork in the track is taken, travelling through wildlife country of mopane and acacia woodland, interspersed by areas of open grassland. Low speed is essential on this route, due to the soft churning sand and the chance of viewing wildlife.

Eventually, after having travelled 99 kilometres from Maun, the southern entrance gate of the Moremi Game Reserve, Magwee, is reached. Here, nestling amongst a glade of tall mopane trees, is a shady camping ground with two small ablution blocks. Here it is essential to guard foodstuffs carefully against the unwelcome attentions of baboons and monkeys.