Okavango Delta Management Plan - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

woodlands, while the Red Lechwe prefers the seasonal floodplains close to deeper waters of
the <strong>Delta</strong> (Skinner and Smithers, 1990). The Hippopotamus grazes at night often several
kilometres from the rivers and lakes which it uses during the day (Skinner and Smithers,
1990). Elephants are also water dependent. They are mixed feeders and use most of the
habitats in the <strong>Delta</strong>.
There are some clear differences in species composition along the wet-dry habitat gradient
in the <strong>Delta</strong>. The Hippopotamus, the Sitatunga, the Cape Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis)
and the Spotted-necked Otter (Lutra maculicollis) live in the deeper, usually permanent
waters of the rivers, lagoons and lakes (Skinner and Smithers, 1990). The Reedbuck
(Redunca arundinum) occurs in the seasonally flooded areas with lower Cyperaceae species,
while the Red Lechwe frequents the floodplain grasslands in large numbers (Skinner and
Smithers, 1990). These wet habitats support 3 and 21 species each, and are different in
species composition from each other and from the drier habitats. They have a high
proportion of grazers while insectivores (mainly bats) are absent.
The drier habitats across the <strong>Delta</strong> (riverine forests, riverine woodlands, savanna
woodlands, dry woodlands and dry scrub), on the other hand, support similar groups of
species. These habitats are more species-rich with a total of 110 species and with a typical
mammal composition of the East – South African savannas. These include the big cats
(Lion, Leopard (Panthera pardus) and Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) which are common as
well as the Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta); and the endangered African Wild Dog (Lycaon
pictus) has a stronghold here. The large number of species is due to the species-rich groups
of bats and rodents which predominantly occur here. The most common herbivores are
listed in Table above .
Reproduction
In the Southern African region at least 75% of the species living in the <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> give
birth during the summer months (Smithers 1971; 1983), while six species breed during
winter only. These same species breed during winter in the <strong>Delta</strong> as well. However, another
12 species are winter breeders which are summer breeders in the region and an additional
27 species are winter breeders which breed year round in the region. This might indicate
that the prolonged breeding is a response to the relative predictability in abundance of
resources during the flooding and is likely to be a specific genetic modification.
Protected Game Animals
The following species have been listed as protected under the Wildlife Conservation and
National Parks Act, 1992. They cannot be hunted or captured without authority.
Night ape, Pangolin, Aardwolf, Brown hyena, Cheetah, Serval, Blackfootedcat, Wilddog,
Otter, Honey badger, Civet, Antbear, Rock dassie, Yellow spotted dassie, Rhinoceros,
Hippopotamus, Giraffe, Klipspringer, Oribi, Sharpe’s steenbok, Mountain reedbuck, Water
buck, Puku, Roan antelope, Vaal rhebok, Pelicans, Egrets, Bitterns, Hammerkop, Storks,
Ibises, Spoonbill, Flamingos, Secretary bird, Vultures, Falcons, Kites, Eagles, Buzzards,
Sparrow hawks, Goshawks, Harriers, Cranes, Kori bustard, Stanley bustard, Jacanas,
Fishing owl, Narina trogon, python.
2.4 SOCIO-ECONOMIC FEATURES
The distribution of the various socio-economic activities in the ODRS is shown in Figure
2-11. The main activities include tourism, livestock farming, arable agriculture, fishing,
gathering of veld products, crafts and provision of various other services.
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