Namibia - Etosha national park
Etosha National Park is one
of Southern Africa's finest and most important
Game Reserves. Etosha Game park was declared a
National Park in 1907 and covering an area of
22 270 square km, it is home to 114 mammal species,
340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian
species and, surprisingly, one species of fish.
The Etosha Park is one of the first places on
any itinerary designed for a holiday in Namibia.
Etosha, meaning "Great White
Place", is dominated by a massive mineral
pan. The pan is part of the Kalahari Basin, the
floor of which was formed around 1000 million
years ago. The Etosha Pan covers around 25% of
the National Park. The pan was originally a lake
fed by the Kunene River. However the course of
the river changed thousands of years ago and the
lake dried up. The pan now is a large dusty depression
of salt and dusty clay which fills only if the
rains are heavy and even then only holds water
for a short time. This temporary water in the
Etosha Pan attracts thousands of wading birds
including impressive flocks of flamingos. The
perennial springs along the edges of the Etosha
Pan draw large concentrations of wildlife and
birds.
A San legend about the formation
of the Etosha Pan tells of how a village was raided
and everyone but the women slaughtered. One woman
was so upset about the death of her family she
cried until her tears formed a massive lake. When
the lake dried up nothing was left apart from
a huge white pan.
The game viewing in Etosha National
Park is excellent, the best time being from May
to September - the cooler months in Namibia. Visitors
to Etosha Game Reserve can expect to see many
buck species, elephant, giraffe, rhino and lions.
More fortunate visitors will see leopard and cheetah.
Recommended Camps & lodges
Please select from the list below
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Ongava
Lodge
Ongava Lodge has 10 chalets which are attractively
built out of brick and thatch close to the
top of a hill. |
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