Etosha National Park
Namibia
 A visit to the Etosha National Park is one of the highlights of travelling Namibia. Etosha, which was declared a game reserve by the German kolonial administration back in 1907, covers an area of more than 22 000 sqkms. In its centre lies a vast saltpan surrounded by grass and thorn savannah, Mopane bushland in the west and dry forest in the north-east. About two million years ago, this area was an enormous lake, fed by the Kunene river. However the lake slowly dried up because over time, the river changed its course.
|
|
The Etosha National Park has a good infrastructure. Well-maintained gravel roads (untarred) lead to the waterholes, where game viewing is at its best. In the three restcamps Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni, hotels, chalets and camping sites are available as well as restaurants, stores and swimming pools.
 The main entrance to the park is called the "Andersson Gate" at Okaukuejo in the south, where the park administration is also situated. The "Von Lindequist Gate" lies in the east near Namutoni. A new gate, the "Nehale lya Mpingana Gate" (King Nehale Gate) was opened at the beginning of 2003 in the north-east.
Further information about the park and accommodation to be found on the Etosha INFO page.
|
|
|
|
The pan is just about always dry. However, in the southern parts there are have water-holes scattered throughout this area and form the basis of life for countless game.
Be it a lion or an elephant, a giraffe or a zebra; almost all African animal species are represented in the huge nature reserve, approx. 22 000 square kilometres in size. There is an estimated number of 250 lions in the park, 300 rhinos, 2 500 giraffes, 6 000 zebras and more than 2 000 elephants. The dainty springbok are especially numerous; at least 20 000 of them roam the reserve. Often, they can be observed in enormous herds of several hundred animals.
|
|
|
