Okavango - Karen Ross

"Okavango: Jewel of the Kalahari" revisits this extraordinary wetland created by the Okavango River as it spreads and spills over the Kalahari sands of northern Botswana. The book puts the Delta in context, looking first at the ecology and wildlife of the Kalahari, an immense wilderness of sand, thorn trees and sun-bleached grasses, as well as the desolate salt pans Makgadikgadi. It proceeds with a detailed description of the ecology of the Delta, portraying the intricate web of life that is sustained there.;With the advantage of a 15-year perspective, the author describes the threats to the Okavango's ecosystem for those hungry for its water and from Botswana's network of veterinary fences, designed to separate cattle from wildlife. The story of conservation in Botswana described here is remarkable for the successful resolution of a number of water battles but also for the failure to prevent the tragic death of thousands of wild animals cut off by fences from access to water. Illustrated with over 170 colour photographs of the many faces of the Delta and its woodland and desert surrounds, this is a book for all who yearn for the wilderness, understand its value and know how precarious is its survival.