Also known locally as the Snake Park and the Rehabilitation Centre it is located within the town of Kasane which is adjacent to the eastern border of the Chobe National Park and on the Chobe River in northern Botswana. CARACAL stands for Centre for Conservation of African Resources: Animals, Communities and Land Use. It is associated with the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech., USA, but CARACAL itself is an independent NGO. As well as the Rehabilitation Centre, which forms the animal display section, there is a research institute, education section and outreach activities. The centre does things as diverse as monitor local water quality and arrange snare cleanups along the river. Their website is here: caracal It is a little difficult to find, it's address is Kinsane Airport Road, but it is actually on an unmarked gravel track which dog-legs around a hill in a small industrial area. On arrival you enter through a chain-link gate with minimal signage to tell you that you have arrived. However most visitors in the region would be staying in a local lodge, and they would most likely be happy to arrange a transfer free of charge, as mine was. Facilities are very basic with many enclosures appearing to be constructed from second hand materials. However it was obvious from the state of each enclosure's interior that the level of husbandry was high, as each enclosure was clean with fresh water. There were also vets on hand to assist with the care of recused animals and the collection in general. Most enclosures also had informative signage. On entry we were offered the choice of a guided tour or to wander around by ourselves. Given the tour was US$6.50 per person of course we chose that option and don't know what independent admission was. Our guide was a young African in uniform, who obviously knew his animals and took a high degree of pride in his work. There was one other group in the centre at the same time we were there, but we did not see them. The first section was the reptile encounter, located in a thatched extension to the main building, open on three sides with a dirt floor. Terrariums were located on trestle tables and our guide pulled out a number of the non-venomous inhabitants for us to handle and photograph. Most of the other animals were located in fairly conventional aviaries and enclosures located through the grounds, which I estimate was about an acre in area. Again the guide facilitated closer contact where possible. The species list below is based on my photos of signs and some of the animals, and I think I have missed about half a dozen species. Keep in mind this is a rescue centre so the collection changes from time to time although there is of course a core of species there all the time. Most are found in the local area although occasionally something will turn up having hitch hiked on a truck from another part of Africe. Banded Mongoose Genet Tree squirrel (Smith’s Bush Squirrel) Bushbaby (Southern Galago) Warthog White backed vulture Tawny Eagle Fish Eagle Marsh Owl Barn owl Scripps owl Verreaux’s eagle owl Marabou stork Brown house snake Jalla’s sand snake Southern African python Common tiger snake Olive whip snake Rufous beaked snake Puff adder Mole snake Black mamba Boomslang Egyptian Cobra Spitting Cobra (sp?) Leopard spotted turtle Hinged tortoise
