The Biblical tale of David and Goliath tells the classic story of the underdog taking on the challenge of a much larger and stronger opponent and coming away from the dual victorious. The Savuti lions of the Chobe National Park, also known as the elephant killers, are in many ways the metaphorical David of the animal kingdom.

The Savuti region of the Chobe National Park is a prime game-viewing area in Botswana. Until the 1980s winter floods from the Linyati region, also situated within the Chobe National Park, dribbled down into the Savuti Channel providing enough water to see the game through the dry season. Earthquake tremors from deep beneath the Kalahari have since caused the surface of the area to shift, cutting off the supply of water from Linyati. The animals that remain in the Savuti now gather around the Pump Pan, a man-made watering hole, when drought envelopes the area. The Pump Pan is also the sight for one of the most thrilling and unusual game encounters that many visitors to the Chobe National Park will ever experience.

During the wet season herds of zebra, wildebeest and buffalo are the normal prey for lion in the region, but these herds tend to migrate to the Linyati during the dry season. At the height of the late dry season (July – October) the lions are left with the elephant, and it is during this time that the lions prey on teenage elephants in small family herds. Unlike East-African lions, the lions of the Savuti do most of their hunting and stalking at night with the moon as their guiding light.

The shadowy elephant hunts are a spectacular natural scene that makes the Chobe National Park worth a visit. It offers a view of the “real” Africa with exceptional photographic opportunities. Travel Adventure’s Botswana can add the Chobe National Park to your travel itinerary during your self-drive safari. Visit our website to book your trip to this unique enclave in the Botswana bush, or visit our Chobe National Park page for more information.