Savute Elephant Camp Transformed as the Mysterious Savute Channel Flows Once Again

  

               

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February 2, 2010 (Chobe, Botswana) – The Savute Channel, one of the greatest mysteries and fascinations of Northern Botswana, is flowing again after nearly 30 years of lying dormant. The Channel now covers over sixty-two miles as it flows from the Linyanti River, through a gap in the Magwikhwe Sand Ridge, past Savute Elephant Camp.

Since November 2008, the river meandered at a painstakingly slow rate.  However, the guests of Savute Elephant Camp awoke one morning this January to the sight of a river flowing in the place of what was once a dry bed and a small, yet well frequented waterhole. Guests and staff alike are marvelling at the sudden reality of being in a riverside camp in the middle of the once bone dry Chobe Desert.  Herds of wildlife are delighting in the fresh new water source, celebrating the abundance of the Channel. 

History of The Savute Channel

The Savute Channel has only ever flowed intermittently. It last flowed from 1967 to 1981 but since then the Channel and the Savute Marsh have been dry, a phenomenon that has occurred on and off over centuries. Until recently, the Channel was open grassland, home to numerous animals such as large herds of Zebra, Impala and Wildebeests, and abundant predators such as Lion, Cheetah and Wild Dog. Gaunt skeletons of trees, now long dead, that grew in one of the earlier dry periods, line both the Channel and the Marsh.

Records show that the Savute Channel and the Marsh dried out during the 1880's. The Channel remained dry until the summer of 1957-58 when heavy rains in the catchment area of the Angolan highlands re-flooded the Chobe river system and the Channel flowed once again until 1966. Its irregular flowing pattern continued until 1981, when the Channel seemed to dry up completely.

This cyclical feature of wet and dry in the Channel is not completely understood, but it is generally believed that tectonic activity deep below the Kalahari's sand bed is responsible. Others argue that its flow is primarily dependent upon the rainfall in the Angolan highlands which feeds the Okavango and Chobe River basins as well as the Savute Channel.  However there have been times when its source has been flooded and the Channel remained dry. As Northern Botswana experienced very strong seismic activity in April 2008, as well as a super flood season, it is once again hard to distinguish whether both or just one of the factors are causing the Channel to flow again, or whether it is pure coincidence.

Please visit www.orient-express.com to view the various specialist tours on offer to visit Savute Elephant Camp, and be a part of this spectacular natural wonder.

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About Savute Elephant Camp:

Perched on the former banks of the Savute Channel in the heart of Chobe National Park, the Savute Elephant Camp by Orient-Express offers a spectacular birds eye view of elephant in their natural habitat.  The Savute is a dramatic area which is home to high concentrations of elephant and lions. The luxury accommodation at Savute Elephant Camp safari camp offers an oasis amid the beautiful plain. All of the luxury tents are housed on raised wooden platforms, offering great views, and shaded by a traditional African thatched roof. 

Media Contact:

Iliana Carr / Katie Clark

The Brandman Agency

212.683.2442

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