Josie and Adam Smeltzer

We decided to join The Okavango Wilderness Project because we have always wanted to visit this area and see the Delta. It has been our favourite location in any documentary series, and we have done a lot of research on the area. The biodiversity and uniqueness of it being an inland river delta that does not flow anywhere else except the Kalahari is so interesting. We have always thought it was breathtakingly beautiful and we wanted to experience it for ourselves.

The campsite at the project is lovely. We expected a basic dome tent with only a sleeping bag, but we were thrilled to find a wonderful safari tent with a comfortable mattress, blankets, and a pillow. Moreover, each tent has its own chemical toilet, which comes in handy if you're afraid to walk to the bathroom at night. There are chairs and tables on the porch, so you can relax in front of your tent in the evenings and take in the beautiful surroundings. The campsite has a shower and toilet block, hot running water, and a fully equipped kitchen and living room - what more could you want?

The camping aspect helped us develop a close-knit community with the other team members. As a group, we spent a lot of time together out in the field and relaxing at the camp. We especially enjoyed reading Dr. Winterbach's research together and exploring the campsite. We found porcupine quills, ivory shards, and even old bones.

Each day of the project was so different. It would usually start bright and early with breakfast consisting of cereals, fruits, bread, tea, and coffee. Then out on the morning drive, where we would search for wildlife to monitor and collect data on.

With carnivores, we would identify their tracks and document them using a Cybertracker program. We used a rangefinder to identify the distance of the animals from our car, and we would record information such as species, gender, age, environmental factors, and number of individuals.

After the morning rounds, we would relax at the camp for a few hours before the evening drive. This was because the wildlife was mostly active during the morning and night. Some days, we started as early as 5am to increase our chances of seeing the predators instead of just their tracks. We saw caracal and hyenas on those days, making it very worthwhile. Other days, we had lunch on the road, as we were out on tracks all day. 

It was exciting to see the mammals, but also the birds and plants, as the team were very knowledgeable about all living things in the area. They wanted us to understand how plant life impacted the ecosystem and was all connected. Tracking was our favourite part of the project because of how in-depth and beautiful the science was. Every day was different and exciting, with something new to learn and discover.

A few days later, we saw a vastly different behaviour within the same species! There was another pride of lions enjoying themselves on a zebra carcass. There were males and females, all intermingled and completely at ease with each other.

We loved watching a baby elephant that couldn't use its trunk yet. It was around three months at the water hole with its family. It kept coming out of his mom's legs and pretending to charge at us. A very spicy little one!

The sightings at this project were unbelievable, resulting in a very long list! We had the incredible opportunity to see lions multiple times, which was truly amazing! We also observed and collected interesting data on the giraffes in this region.

During our stay at the campout site, we were fortunate to be near a watering hole where we witnessed hundreds of elephants coming and going. It was an incredible sight to see family units of 20+ individuals enjoying themselves, drinking, bathing, and keeping cool.

We encountered various species of ungulates such as duiker, impalas, sables, oryx, eland, waterbuck, reedbuck, roan antelope, and zebras. 

The bird species we saw were truly incredible! The lilac-breasted roller is now our favourite. We were lucky enough to spot about four or five secretary birds, which the team informed us were quite rare. Every day we observed a new species, making it an unforgettable experience.

Our tip for The Okavango Project is to put some money to the side for the optional excursions offered. We went on the Mokoro (canoe through the waterways) and the aerial flight over the delta, which were fantastic value for money. When you take a flight up and over the region, you get to see everything in person with your own eyes, it goes right to your core. It's everything you've ever wanted. 

The Mokoro cruise is nice and relaxing, after hours on the dirt track. On the water, you gain so much knowledge of life within the floodplains and the history of the bush, local communities, and the animals. It gives you such an understanding of Botswana’s culture and its relationship with wildlife. We even saw an elephant in the water, and one of the guides made a noise to make it go away, and it did. We passed by, and then the elephant came back and started eating again - truly unforgettable!

During our time on the project, we learned so much about bush life, wildlife, and the ecosystem. This is particularly important in remote and wild places like this, where wildlife impacts people's lives in numerous ways. We have gained an authentic understanding and a new perspective on many things, which we will carry with us forever.