Selinda Game Reserve (Private) NG/16, Okavango Delta Travel Guide

Selinda Game Reserve, also known as Selinda Reserve (NG/16), is a vast and picturesque wildlife sanctuary located in northern Botswana. Encompassing 320,000 acres (130,000 hectares), this private concession lies between the Okavango and Linyanti river systems. The reserve is centered around the Selinda Spillway, a fascinating fossil channel that connects the Linyanti Swamps and the Okavango Delta. This unique waterway, often dry, experienced renewed flow in 2009 due to heavy floods, revitalizing the ecosystem.The landscape is a diverse mix of open grasslands, tree islands, riverine forests, and dense mopane woodlands. This variety of habitats supports a rich array of wildlife, including large herds of elephants and buffalo, as well as resident populations of impala, kudu, tsessebe, giraffe, and reedbuck. Selinda is particularly renowned for its healthy predator populations, including lion, leopard, cheetah, and the resident Selinda pack of African wild dogs. Birdlife is also abundant, with species like carmine bee-eaters, raptors, egrets, and wattled cranes adding to the area's natural beauty.Historically, the Selinda Reserve was leased to Linyanti Explorations in 1995, with a focus on both consumptive and non-consumptive tourism. In 2007, Great Plains Conservation took over, transforming the area into a haven for photographic tourism and conservation. Today, Selinda is known for its exclusive safari camps, offering luxurious accommodations and exceptional wildlife viewing experiences. Visitors can enjoy a range of activities, including game drives, walking safaris, boating excursions, and canoeing along the Selinda Spillway.