Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

About this place

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a vast wildlife reserve straddling the border between South Africa and Botswana, made up of South Africa's Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and Botswana's Gemsbok National Park. It covers about 38,000 square kilometres, around three-quarters of it in Botswana, and its main South African gate at Twee Rivieren lies about 228 km in a straight line north-west of Upington. Its name means «place of thirst». The park lies mostly in the southern Kalahari Desert, a land of red dunes, sparse grass and scattered trees cut by the dry beds of the Nossob and Auob rivers. These rivers are said to flow only about once a century, but water moving underground keeps grass and camel thorn trees alive along their beds. More than 470 species have been recorded, including lions, cheetahs, leopards and brown hyenas, which follow herds of gemsbok, springbok, blue wildebeest and red hartebeest. Meerkats, bat-eared foxes and honey badgers live here too, along with more than 200 bird species, about 30 of them raptors. Since 2005 the park has been recognised as an important lion stronghold in southern Africa. The park has three main rest camps and six wilderness camps that offer little more than shelter, so visitors must bring food, drinking water and firewood. Distances are long and roads are sandy, so plan several days and fill up with fuel at every chance.