The Moremi Game Reserve is a national park in the African country of Botswana. This park contains a number of different ecosystems and is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. The area was made a wildlife reserve in 1963 by the local community and is now under the jurisdiction of the Botswana National Park system.
The reserve is small in size compared to many reserves and national parks in Africa, covering only 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers), but the landscape of Moremi Game Reserve is very diverse. The Moremi Game Reserve includes a large portion of the Okavango Delta and within the reserve there are lagoons, pans, waterways, grassy plains and forest. The variety of ecosystems give visitors the opportunity to explore the reserve by four-wheel vehicle, on foot, or by canoe.
Wildlife is abundant in the Moremi Game Reserve. More than 400 species of birds live in the reserve, and many land animals can be found in abundance. The reserve is home to the Big Five animals that visitors commonly look for while on safari. The creatures in the Big Five include elephants, leopards, lions, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Other animals that live in the reserve are giraffe, jackals, zebras, cheetahs, and impala.
The protected nature of the reserve has made it a prime area to reintroduce species that are endangered. Both the black and white rhinoceros have been successfully reintroduced. The wild dog has thrived in the reserve since a project to increase their limited number was enacted in the reserve in 1989. It is estimated that 30% of all wild dogs live in the Moremi Game Reserve.
Animals are always plentiful in the reserve, but the best viewing is from July to October. This is the dry season and during this time seasonal watering holes in the area disappear. Wildlife then becomes concentrated around the permanent water sources of the Moremi Game Reserve.
The Botswana National Park system is focusing on eco-friendly, low impact tourism. Due to this fact, there are limited lodges and campsites within the Moremi Game Reserve. Guided game drives and game walks are available, and visitors may opt to do a self-guided tour with a four-wheel drive vehicle. There are also guided canoe trips along the waterways of the Okavango Delta. This area is prone to mosquitoes and visitors are recommended to speak to their doctors about preventing malaria before arriving.
