Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana

© Paul Souders/Getty Image

Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana

Here's a place where the wild rules and nature moves at its own pace. Moremi Game Reserve stretches across the eastern side of Botswana's Okavango Delta, covering 500,000 hectares. Established in 1963, it became Africa's first reserve created by local people—the Batawana, a Bantu ethnic group native to Southern Africa—to protect the region's wildlife from uncontrolled hunting. The combination of permanent water and dry land makes it one of the best places in Africa to observe wildlife in its natural habitat.

One animal you're almost certain to spot is the impala. These medium-sized antelopes are active mainly during the day. Males fight fiercely for dominance during the breeding season or rut, locking horns in dramatic battles. After a six-month gestation period, females give birth to a single fawn. Outside the mating season, they stick together in herds—the territorial males, bachelor herds and female herds—always on the lookout for predators. When danger strikes, they freeze, only to explode into a sprint when the moment demands. They can leap up to 3 metres high, cover nearly 10 metres in a single bound and change direction mid-sprint. Whether grazing quietly or launching into a sudden dash, impalas are among Moremi's most adaptable residents.