Wilderness Chitabe’s sustainable Okavango Delta safari

In the early ‘90s, before Dave and Helene Hamman took on the Chitabe Concession, they were based in the Okavango Delta at Wilderness Mombo.

There, they worked on a National Geographic film following the dramas of the local wild dogs, and aided researcher Dr Tico McNutt with his work on this endangered species, tracking and collecting data on one of the largest wild dog packs ever recorded: a pack of 24 adults and 16 puppies. It was while working on these projects that the couple first spotted a curious anomaly: a wild dog pup with an entirely white tail.

Fast forward to 1996, when Chitabe’s NG31 concession was awarded to Dave and Helene. As they took their very first drive through the area, towards what would be the new site for the camp, the first animals they encountered were a wild dog pack in a nearby channel. Who could have expected that one adult dog, upon closer inspection, presented with a tail completely white in colour? By a stroke of fate, Helene and Dave had stumbled across the very wild dogs they had helped research years prior in a separate corner of the Delta. Inspired by this chance encounter, the Chitabe wild dog logo was born.

 
What began as a story of chance has become a symbol of intent. It was Dave and Helene’s respect and love for nature and wildlife that inspired Chitabe’s logo – and those values still guide the camp’s philosophy today. From its eco-luxury safari camp design to its support of long-term wildlife research and community upliftment, Chitabe exemplifies what a truly sustainable safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta can be.

“For us, conservation and sustainability are the all-encompassing yardstick by which we run the business. The Botswana government had the vision to create these protected wildlife areas and we were given the privilege to operate in this pristine and unique environment. Therefore, it is our duty to protect it – not just for the years while it is under our stewardship, but for future generations, as well”. – Helene

The Chitabe Concession is a remarkably rich and dynamic ecosystem. Its patchwork of habitats – ranging from dry woodland to seasonal floodplains – supports unusually high densities of both predators and prey. It’s this ecological complexity that makes Chitabe’s wildlife experiences so consistently spectacular. But it’s also what makes it the area a rare and valuable research environment. 

“We always had the intention to host researchers and to work with them, as it adds value and legitimacy to what we do. We hope that our guests leave Chitabe more enlightened about conservation and sustainability than when they arrived. Having accurate knowledge on our flora and fauna is part of that role. It’s also so much more interesting for a guide to have history and in-depth knowledge about the animals that guests are seeing.  Knowing individual animals and their life journeys makes the experience come full circle”.

By opening its doors to both researchers and guests, Chitabe helps ensure that this remarkable ecosystem contributes to scientific knowledge – and remains protected for generations to come.

Among the many researchers Chitabe has hosted is Dr Tico McNutt, whose wild dog research at Mombo would later evolve into the Botswana Wild Dog Research Project, and eventually into what is now known as the Botswana Predator Conservation (BPC) programme, under Wild Entrust Africa.

Today, the BPC programme is one of the leading predator research initiatives in Africa, studying the behaviour of all the Okavango’s large predators, including hyena, cheetah, leopards and lions. This vital research – some of which took place at Chitabe – has helped inform national conservation strategies, improve human-wildlife conflict management, and deepen our understanding of predator dynamics in one of Africa’s most ecologically important regions. Beyond hosting BPC researchers on the land, the NG31 concession, Dave and Helene use camp proceeds to donate to Wild Entrust Africa each and every year. 

They’ve also helped fund aerial wildlife surveys for Elephants Without Borders, a leading research organisation focused on elephant conservation and management across northern Botswana (including the Chitabe concession), Angola, Zambia and Namibia. The findings from these surveys were used to update the conservation status of elephants in the critically important Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) – data which helps other conservation organisations make decisions about responsible land use and species protection. 

Chitabe has been credited as a research site in numerous scientific papers, including research conducted on lion genetics, bats, spiders, large herbivores and even fire ecology. 

“We have initiated a new project with the BPC team using AI to help identify the huge number of leopards that we are seeing in and around the Chitabe area. Such a high density is unusual and this piqued their interest. Vast amounts of data and photographs, that have been collected by Dave and the guides over the last 4-5 years, have been added to the database for analysis. So far over 50 different individuals have been identified in a relatively small area and the numbers will increase as we are still finding new individuals. This data will also lend itself to explaining some of the unusual behaviour we are seeing amongst these leopards, which has not been documented before”. 

But conservation at Chitabe isn’t always academic – it’s a hands-on experience that guests are invited to take part in. Through African Carnivore Wildbook, visitors can contribute their own predator photographs to an international research platform that similarly uses AI to identify and track individual animals. These photographs become valuable data points for long-term ecological studies.

Research and sustainable wildlife tourism are just one side of the coin when it comes to Chitabe’s approach to conservation. As custodians of the concession – over 22,000 hectares, or more than 50,000 acres – it’s Dave and Helene’s responsibility to protect the wild integrity of the landscape. And how well they do it.

 
As Dave notes, “We have always had the philosophy that we need to be doing the right thing for the planet and for our people, not because we are told to do these things, but because it’s simply the right thing to do. We have always believed in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Respect – and we use that model in all we do at the camp”. 

The camp has consistently gone above and beyond Wilderness’ Group Environmental Minimum Standards (GEMS). It was the first to introduce the Healing Earth range of environmentally friendly products in its suites. It was also the first to build on elevated walkways in order to minimise ground contact; a design element – now popular across the Okavango Delta – that is not only more eco-conscious, but allows wildlife to move unimpeded throughout the camp. 

“Chitabe became operational at the same time as the growth in Botswana’s tourism industry – 27 years ago,” Helene reflects. “Therefore, many of the things we implemented have become industry standards. For example, we were the first camp to stop burning waste, other than bio-degradable food waste, and start trucking it out instead. This has now become the norm for all operators. We were one of the first camps to bring in reverse osmosis machines to purify water and give our guests personal re-usable water bottles”.

Chitabe’s tree-planting initiative has seen hundreds of indigenous trees already planted across the landscape, allowing guests to give back in a simple, lasting way. The camp also established a baseline groundwater survey in partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand to ensure that their water usage remains sustainable. 

In addition, Dave notes, “We have expanded our solar array, and now run entirely on solar with a generator just as a back-up.  And we are working with the Botswana government on eradicating the invasive species, Salvinia”. 

 
The camp’s recent rebuild is a masterclass in efficient design.

“With this latest rebuild, we were one of the first camps to use a steel structure. We were also the first camp to use laser technology to record each tree and branch, so that all our rooms could be carefully placed in the right positions without any damage to trees”. – Helene

With meticulous planning by structural engineer Henry Fagan, architects Mark Thomas and Chris Bisset, and the LBV Builders team, the on-site portion of the build – which erected seven new guest suites – was completed in just three months. Most of the work – joinery, steel components, assembly – had been completed off-site months earlier, reducing construction time and environmental impact on the ground.

The use of steel as a key material marked a departure from traditional builds, allowing for faster assembly, easier future decommissioning, and a dramatic 66% reduction in ground contact points. 

Thanks to advanced 3D scanning and digital modelling, not a single tree was removed during the process. The entire camp was designed around existing tree and root systems – right down to the main walkway, which curves gently around a tree at the heart of camp.

 
Even the new guest rooms’ evaporative cooling systems were selected with care and intention – keeping the planet top of mind. A stunning 90% more efficient than traditional air conditioners, these coolers are able to expel all the air from a room every 4 minutes – all while allowing the guests to keep their windows open and remain connected to nature.  

Every detail of the rebuild – from the structural materials to the sensory experience for guests – was purposefully designed. Yet without compromising the aesthetic. According to interior designer Lauren Hammond, the guiding principles of her design were “light, comfort and simplicity”, using natural materials and a minimalist design that brings the outside in. This careful and deliberate approach to the rebuild – with a respect for the environment at its centre – has culminated in what we at Wilderness call “light footprint luxury”. As Chitabe has proven time and time again, beauty and sustainability can coexist.

Finally, and perhaps most touching of all, is Chitabe’s love for their staff and community. As guests have noted time and time again, the camp exudes the feeling of a family home. When you look deeper into how the staff are taken care of, that feeling of home is no surprise. More than 20 of them have been with the camp for over a decade, some more than two.

Dave and Helene implemented a profit-sharing initiative with the staff to ensure all can benefit from Chitabe’s proceeds. They contribute annually toward school fees, uniforms and stationery for their staff’s families. Every year, they temporarily close the camp to welcome students from Children In The Wilderness, a programme that educates young minds about the environment. 

Once a year, Dave and Helene also invite staff members families to the camp, giving spouses, children, and  relatives the chance to enjoy the landscape and wildlife – some for the first time. 

Chitabe’s proceeds go towards the Shorobe community and various charities in Maun, such as the Aids Maun Animal Welfare Society. 

“Communities around the Okavango Delta are also custodians of the land and we all have to work together. The local communities need to benefit from tourism. We also feel that our staff are the ‘Chitabe community’ and we feel very strongly about doing our annual child education donations and our profit-sharing payments, so that all our staff can benefit when the company does well”. – Dave

“The smiling faces of children who are seeing wild animals for the first time, or who are experiencing flying to camp in an airplane for the very first time – these images are priceless. As is seeing the joy that their parents have from being able to share their home away from home with their children. It is very special, particularly when coupled with the sense of pride they have in sharing their workplace”. – Helene

The more you learn about Chitabe, the more you realise that every part of the experience gives something back – to the land, to the wildlife and to the people.

“It is so important that there is no contamination to soil or water, or uncontrolled bush fires, which have a huge impact on the ecology of the area; that solar provides clean and renewable energy; that there are necessary restrictions on the number of guests and vehicles. All of these things allow for a sustainable presence for the area to thrive and for all to benefit”.  

“We are also very proud of the fact that the measures we implement in camp are often taken home by our staff, and those conservation messages, such as reducing power consumption, using renewable energy, not wasting water, recycling… those ideas filter down:” – Helene 

As you walk along the camp’s winding boardwalk, notice the trees it was built around. Ask your guide what wild things his family saw the last time they visited. Scan the thickets for your own glimpse of a white-tailed wild dog – they might not be there without the decades of research Chitabe and the owners have helped make possible. 

Chitabe is a special place. The camp is exquisite, the people warm, and the wildlife unforgettable. But the true difference here is knowing your journey means something.