Flora

Kwando's environment and ecosystems are similar to those of the Linyanti and Selinda reserves. The north of the reserve is most like the Linyanti Reserve, in that it's dominated by the presence of the river, which runs on its eastern border in a roughly straight line. Adjacent to this is a band of riverine forest, characteristically rich in its variety of trees. These include African mangosteen, Garcinia livingstonei (which remind me of a bomb exploding, as all the stems grow out straight from the top), jackalberry, Diospyros mespiliformis, sausage tree, Kigelia Africana, leadwood, Combretum imberbe, and knobthorn, Acacia nigrescens.

As you move further south in the reserve, around Lebala Camp, you're getting into the northern side of the Magwegqana Spillway, and here the riverine forest opens out, becoming a mosaic of open areas covered in low bushes and grasses. These open areas are often dominated by wild sage, Pechuel-loeschea leubnitziae, and interspersed with patches of forest, which become smaller and more island-like as you move further south.

These forest patches and islands contain many of the same riverine trees species, and you'll also find marula trees, Sclerocarya birrea, occasional baobabs, Adansonia digitata, and increasing numbers of real fan palms, Hyphaene petersiana. Plus many camelthorns, Acacia erioloba, and the invasive candle-pod acacia, Acacia hebeclada.
Further south still, the land becomes even more open as you approach the reserve's southern boundary and the Selinda Reserve.

Fauna

Like the Linyanti and Selinda, Kwando's resident game is augmented in about June by migrant game which arrives here from the drier areas south and west, attracted by the permanent waters of the Kwando River.

Common species found here include include impala, red lechwe, kudu, tsessebe, giraffe, steenbok, warthog, baboon and vervet monkeys. Roan, sable and common duiker also occur, but are not common. Lion, leopard and spotted hyena are common, whilst cheetah are rarely seen. Hippo and crocodiles frequent the river, along with the playful spotted-necked otters.

Herds of wildebeest and zebra are resident here from around May to December. Elephants and buffalo follow a similar pattern with individuals around all year, and larger breeding herds arriving around June–July and staying until December. These large herds are particularly common near the river during the dry season, and the elephants seem to have a penchant for aggression if approached too closely. When driving around with one of the camp's guides, he would refer to them nonchalantly as 'cheeky' animals; but driving myself through the area once I found it much more nerve-racking. They reacted completely differently to the relatively passive elephants found in the busier parts of Chobe and Moremi.

Kwando is also a good reserve for seeing wild dog, especially in the south of the reserve around Lebala, helped by Kwando Safari's policy of actively 'tracking' animals across the bush – and having both a tracker and a driver/guide on all of its vehicles.
Highlights of the night drives here include Selous' mongoose, genets and aardwolf – along with more usual sightings of scrub hares, spring hares, bushbabies, genets, civets, honey badgers and porcupines.

Birdlife

The birdlife here is almost identical to that of the Linyanti Reserve with plenty of variety. I particularly remember a huge colony of carmine bee-eaters that we seemed to have discovered by accident when stopping on a drive for a 'sundowner' drink.

Sacred and hadeda ibis are particularly common in the waterways here, whilst rarer residents include slaty and black egrets, and rufous-bellied herons.