Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park

Etosha Is One Of Africa’s Greatest Parks In Both Size And Variety Of Wildlife Species. The Park Covers 8598 Square Miles (22,270 Km2) In The Northern Part Of The Country And Lies 3280-4920 Feet (1000-1500 M) Above Sea Level.

The Park Is Mainly Mixed Scrub, Mopane Savannah And Dry Woodland Surrounding The Huge Etosha Pan. The Pan Is A Silvery-White Shallow Depression, Dry Except During The Rainy Season. Mirages And Dust-Devils Play Across What Was Once A Lake Fed By A River That Long Ago Changed Course. Along The Edge Of The Pan Are Springs That Attract Wildlife During The Dry Winter Season.

The Eastern Areas Of The Park Experience The Most Rainfall And Have Denser Bush Than The Northwestern Region Which Is Mainly Open Grasslands. About 40 Water Holes Spread Out Along 500 Miles (800 Km) Of Roads Provide Many Vantage Points From Which To Watch Game.

Etosha Is Famous For Its Huge Elephant Population Which Is Most Visible July-September In The Center Of The Park. Large Numbers Of Elephants May Also Be Seen In May, June And October. When The Rains Begin In October-November, Some Elephant Herds Migrate North To Angola And West To Kaokoland And Begin Returning In March. Large Populations Of Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Springbok And Gemsbok Migrate Westward From The Namutoni Area In October-November To The West And North¬west Of Okaukuejo Camp Where They Stay Until Around March-May. From June-August They Migrate Eastward Again Past Okaukuejo And Halali Camps To The Namutoni Plains Where There Is Water Year-Round. The Calving Season (Which Attracts Predators) For A Number Of Antelope Species Is November-April. The Park Is Totally Fenced Although This Does Not Always Stop The Elephants From Going Where They Please.

Lion Are Commonly Seen, And Zebra Are Often Sighted Way Out On The Barren Pan Where Lions Have No Cover From Which To Launch An Attack. Black-Faced Impala And Damara Dikdik Are Two Distinctive Species Of This Area. Rhino Prefer The Western Regions.

During My Most Recent Visit, We Spotted Black Rhino, Elephant, Lion, Red Hartebeest, Greater Kudu, Giraffe, Gemsbok, Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Springbok, Black-Faced Impala, Black-Backed Jackal, Honey Badger, Warthog And Mongoose. Other Wildlife In The Park Includes Brown Hyena, Spotted Hyena, Caracal African Wildcat, Leopard, Cheetah, Aardwolf, Silver Fox, Bat-Eared Fox El^Ni^> Roan Antelope And Grey Duiker.

Birdlife Is Prolific With Over 325 Species Recorded, Particu¬larly On The Etost13 Pan During The Summer Rainy Season From Mid-January To March. However, A Diverse Range Of Bird Species Can Be Seen Year-Round. Kites, Pelicans, Greater And Lesser Flamingos, And Ntarabou Storks Migrate Seasonally. Other Spe¬cies Commonly Sighted Include Kori Bustards, Guinea Fowl, Francolins Ostricfr, Turtle Doves, Lilac-Breasted Roller, Namaqua Sandgrouse And Crimson-Breasted Shrike.

Roads Run #Long The Eastern, Southern And Western Bor¬ders Of The Etosh# Pan- The Area Around Namutoni Camp In The Eastern Part Of *Ne Pai"K Receives More Rain Than The Other Region Of The Par^- Eland, Kudu And The Damara Dikdik, Africa’s Smallest Antelope Are Often Seen In This Area. A Good Spot To See Elephants Is At 01ifantsbad, A Water Hole Between Halali And Okaukuejo Carnps- At The Floodlit Water Hole At Okaukuejo Camp We Wit¬nessed An Hour-Jon£ Stand-Off Between A Black Rhino And Two Elephants Over C0n^T0^ Of The Water Hole. A Lioness Also Came For A Drink. The F[At*^Ence Of The Elephants Was Almost Deafening!

From Okaukuejo One Can Drive Along The Southwestern Edge Of The Pan £° Okondeka And West To The Haunted Forest, A Dense Concenti*Ati°N Of Eerie-Looking African Moringa Trees.
I Wouldn’t Want To Walk Through This Forest At Night! On The Road From Okaukuejo To Leeubron, One Passes Under A Social Weaver’s Nest (Bird’s Nest) The Size Of A Car.

Accommodation - Class A/B: * Mokuti Lodge, Located 500 Yards (500 M) From The Van Lindequist Gate (Near Namutoni Camp), Has 96 Air-Conditioned Thatched Bungalows With Ensuite Facilities, Swimming Pool And Air Strip. Game Drives Into The Park Are Offered. * Ongava Is A Luxury 20 Bed Lodge With Air Conditioning, Ensuite Facilities And Swimming Pool, And Is Situated Eight Miles (12 Km) South Of Anderson Gate (Near Okaukuejo) On Privately Owned 12 Square Mile (32 Km2) Ongava Game Reserve. Game Drives Are Offered In Etosha; Walks And Day And Night Game Drives In Open Vehicles Are Offered On The Reserve. * Moringa Tented Camp (Class B) Is Also Located On The Reserve, And Has Eight Tents Set On Wooded Platforms With Separate Facilities. * Himba Camp (Class B), Also Located On The Reserve, Has Five Himba-Style Huts With Separate Facilities.

Class C & D: There Are Three National Park Camps: Namutoni, Halali, And Okaukuejo. All Three Camps Have Lodge Accom¬modations, Caravan And Camping Sites, Swimming Pool, Restau¬rant, Store, Petrol Station And Landing Strip. The Camps Are Fenced For The Visitor’s Protection. * Namutoni Camp, Situated Seven Miles (11 Km) From The Van Lindequist Gate, Features A Very Attractive Fortress Built In 1903 And Converted To Hotel Rooms, Many Of Which Have Private Facilities. * Halali Camp, The Most Modern Of The Camps, Lies Halfway Between Namutoni And Okaukuejo Camps At The Foot Of A Dolomite Hill. Some Rooms Have Private Facilities. * Okaukuejo Camp, Situated 11 Miles (18 Km) From The Anderson Gate Entrance, Has A Floodlit Water Hole And All Rooms Have Private Facilities.