Water Monitor Lizard on the Chobe River, Chobe National Park, Botswana (photo)

Water Monitor Lizard on the Chobe River, Chobe National Park, Botswana. The Chobe River has its origins in the highlands of Angola and once it enters Botswana, it goes through several name changes. It enters as the Kwando River and immediately becomes the Linyanti, then the Itenge and is finally called the Chobe River. Knowing this may avoid confusion when looking at maps or reading information. The Chobe River area contains an interesting variety of habitats and is rich in plant life, with mopane woodland, mixed combretum, sandveld, floodplain, grasslands and riverine woodland. Many trees have suffered considerable damage from the high numbers of elephants, who push them over and rip off the bark - and some woods have been totally denuded. The most popular area in and just outside Chobe National Park is the short 9-mile (15km) stretch of Chobe River from Kasane town to the Serondela campsite. Few people come to Chobe without taking a trip on this river to see hundreds of hippopotamuses and crocodiles. Both hippo's and elephants epitomise this park more than any other animals and are often featured on the cover of brochures to the area. The only subject more photographed in Chobe are the exquisite sanguine sunsets sinking slowly over the water. Chobe National Park is probably the most affordable of Botswana's parks and with the lure of excellent game watching both on and beside the river, the well frequented areas can become quite crowded. Photographed in 2013