Moremi Reserve is situated at the heart of the Okavango Delta and was the first wildlife area to be set aside by tribal people rather than colonial powers.
The reserve was established in 1963 by the Batawana Tribal Administration and it was later named after Chief Letsholathebe Moremi who had campaigned to safeguard this region.
The first visitors started arriving in 1964 but it was in the early 1970s that tourism took off. The reserve was initially extended in 1976 to include Chief's Island and again in 1992, increasing from 3875 to 4871 sq. km.
Although the reserve is the only statutorily protected part of the Okavango Delta, it is surrounded by a buffer zone of land, which is carefully controlled in terms of wildlife management.
Being unfenced, it allows free movement of animals within the Delta according to seasonal migrations. Moremi now extends east and northwards to join Chobe National Park, ensuring a continuous area of protected land all the way to Kasane.
